Hong Kong suspends construction labour import scheme applications amid exploitation claims
Labour minister Chris Sun responds after allegations emerge over workers having debit cards seized and salaries stolen, among other claims
Hong Kong authorities have cancelled the latest round of applications for a scheme to bring in construction workers from outside the city, days after accusations emerged that migrant labourers were being exploited.
The scheme also came under fresh pressure as a lawmaker on Saturday morning called for it to be halted and warned of potential loopholes that allowed for such workers to be exploited.
Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said the night before that authorities would examine whether construction companies had attempted to recruit locally before applying as per the scheme’s requirements.
The government would also look into whether there was a genuine need for imported labour, he said.
“The latest or fifth round of applications opened in July. Having examined these factors in detail, the Development Bureau decided that no quota would be granted for this batch of applications,” Sun wrote on social media.
He stressed that bringing in more workers was critical in tackling labour shortages, adding the government had a responsibility to ensure the rights of such workers were protected in light of the recent allegations of exploitation.
“I have commissioned Undersecretary for Labour and Welfare Ho Kai-ming, in conjunction with the Security Bureau, the Development Bureau, police and the Labour Department, to meet with representatives of trade unions immediately and refer suspected cases of legal violations to law enforcement agencies for investigation,” the minister said.
