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Fiona Chow

Transport and catering operators have urged Hong Kong authorities to continue offering labour import schemes to help fill the thousands of vacancies in the workforce, despite some unions calling for the measures to be suspended.
Representatives of minibus and catering companies said the schemes to bring in workers, mainly from mainland China, were also part of a “forward-looking” approach to dealing with the city’s ageing population.
They were responding to calls by some unions to halt two import schemes, after the government cancelled the latest round of applications for migrant workers in the construction sector amid allegations of exploitation.
Winston Yeung Chun-nin, chairman of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades, said the schemes could help improve the business environment.
“We hope the arrival of imported labourers will not only help us fill some positions but also increase Hong Kong’s competitiveness,” he said.
The government launched one of the schemes last year, allowing the construction, transport and aviation industries to bring in 20,000 labourers.
It also expanded another scheme to bring in unskilled or low-skilled workers in 26 job categories, such as chefs and waitresses, with no maximum quota.
Transport and retail unions have raised concerns over the impact on local workers and asked the government to suspend applications for the schemes, as it did for the construction industry.
The schemes are due to be reviewed in 2025.
Transport unions were also worried about potential exploitation cases in their sector, following the allegations in the construction industry of workers’ debit cards being seized and salaries stolen, among other claims.

But the catering sector’s Yeung said the scheme must continue, as job vacancies were still in the thousands and up to 10,000 workers were needed to bring the industry back to levels seen before the pandemic.
His association has more than 1,000 members, including some of the major restaurant groups. Most members applied for migrant workers last year.
Yeung said operators had always struggled to maintain a stable workforce as job-hopping was common among local staff, who preferred to work-part time.
A two-year contract designed for migrant workers could allow employers to train full-time staff and raise service levels, he said.
The Labour Department said on Tuesday it had approved applications for 9,632 migrant workers to join the city’s catering industry and another 1,853 in the retail sector as of August.
Minibus operator So Sai-hung, who chairs the GMB Maxicab Operators General Association with more than a hundred members, echoed Yeung’s thoughts.
So said almost all the companies represented by his association had applied to employ migrant drivers to increase service frequency on routes across the city.
He said the industry needed at least 7,000 drivers to provide full service to the public, but it was currently short by about 2,000. As a result, residents had to queue longer.
“Before the new hires arrived, every minibus company basically could only provide about 70 per cent service. They only had enough [local] drivers to drive 7 out of 10 minibuses,” he said.
So said the younger generation was reluctant to join the trade, with many drivers also reaching retirement age.
The Transport Department said 850 transport workers had arrived in the city as of August under the scheme, with 650 having completed their training and received driving licences.
So hoped the scheme would stay in force in the next few years or until the vacant positions were filled.

The retail industry has also weighed into the debate.
One union last week voiced dissatisfaction over the scheme and its impact on job opportunities and salaries among the local workforce.
But lawmaker Peter Shiu Ka-fai, who represents the sector, said operators had been grappling with the trend of residents heading north to spend in Shenzhen.
He said migrant workers were needed to increase the sector’s competitiveness and he hoped the government would carry on with the scheme to “prepare for a rainy day” given the city’s ageing population.
Operators in the construction sector also hoped the government would resume their scheme soon.
Godfrey Leung King-kwok, executive director of the Construction Association, said members were worried the government would not grant further applications after the recent halt to the scheme.
“The importation scheme was a good policy going in the right direction. It was designed based on long-term development and the needs in the industry reflected by data,” he said. “It should not be a hasty decision to easily call off the importation.”
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Tuesday the labour schemes were a “temporary alleviation” to ease the manpower shortage, acknowledging that the construction and catering industries were still short-staffed.
He said the government prioritised vacancies for local workers, with rules setting out that employers needed to offer the median monthly wage to migrant workers.


Hong Kong transport, catering firms urge government to keep labour import schemes

Hong Kong must halt or review scheme to bring in workers, unions say

Migrant workers will be back on Hong Kong site after authorities intervene in pay dispute

Migrant workers seek mainland police help over firings, docked wages in Hong Kong: union

Hong Kong workers and labour rights

A minibus operator says the sector is currently short by about 2,000 drivers. Photo: Edmond So

The scheme to bring in 20,000 construction sector workers has been suspended. Photo: Jelly Tse

The Labour Department says it has approved applications for 9,632 migrant workers to join the city’s catering industry. Photo: Sun Yeung

The Hospital Authority says it has requested the main contractor of the United Christian Hospital expansion project to conduct a thorough investigation and submit a report. Photo: Edmond So

Workers gather outside United Christian Hospital in Kwun Tong. Photo: Facebook/香港建造業總工會

More than 30 workers protested outside United Christian Hospital expansion project on Monday over the labour dispute. Photo: Facebook/香港建造業總工會

Hong Kong suspends construction labour import scheme applications amid exploitation claims

A union has raised allegations of migrant workers being exploited by management companies. Photo: Jelly Tse

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun has said authorities will examine whether construction companies have attempted to recruit locally before applying as per the scheme’s requirements. Photo: Edmond So

A lawmaker has said the number of construction projects in the city has greatly reduced. Photo: Sam Tsang

Most Hong Kong workers against city importing more foreign labour, survey finds

There has been a sharp decline in construction projects in the private sector, the FTU says. Photo: Sam Tsang

Hong Kong’s food and beverage sector is also struggling; Photo: Edmond So

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Hong Kong

Society

Calls at odds with union push to suspend migrant worker schemes amid exploitation claims and fears over job security and wages


Calls at odds with union push to suspend migrant worker schemes amid exploitation claims and fears over job security and wages.
