Hong Kong employer groups demand foreign helper wage freeze, warn of mass sackings
SCMP · 1 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
Two employer groups petitioned the Hong Kong government on Saturday to freeze the minimum wage and food allowance for foreign domestic helpers this year, warning that any increase could trigger mass sackings . The International Domestic Service Industry Development Federation and the Quadripartite Alliance for Harmonious Employment Practices, leading about 30 employer representatives, submitted their demands after a July survey found overwhelming opposition to pay rises among employers .
Key Points
- Two employer groups—the International Domestic Service Industry Development Federation and the Quadripartite Alliance for Harmonious Employment Practices—led about 30 representatives to petition the government on Saturday .
- A July poll of 6,200 employers found over 97 per cent wanted the government to freeze the minimum wage and food allowance for foreign domestic helpers .
- Some 84 per cent of surveyed employers said they might not afford a pay increase and could consider sacking their helpers if wages rose .
- The government-mandated minimum wage for foreign helpers has risen by a total of 7.8 per cent over the past three years, with total employer expenses reaching up to HK$11,000 (US$1,400) monthly .
- The groups proposed a pay-for-performance mechanism allowing employers to reward high-performing helpers with better pay rather than applying flat-rate adjustments .
Why It Matters
With approximately 380,000 foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong, mainly from the Philippines and Indonesia, any wage freeze or performance-based pay reform would directly affect one of the city's most vulnerable worker populations and reshape labour relations in a sector that underpins household functioning for tens of thousands of families . The employers' framing of potential mass sackings as a consequence of wage increases puts pressure on policymakers weighing economic recovery against worker protection.
With approximately 380,000 foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong, mainly from the Philippines and Indonesia, any wage freeze or performance-based pay reform would directly affect one of the city's most vulnerable worker populations and reshape labour relations in a sector that underpins household functioning for tens of thousands of families . The employers' framing of potential mass sackings as a consequence of wage increases puts pressure on policymakers weighing economic recovery against worker protection.