Many Hong Kong construction workers said their employment had been affected by a government scheme to import non-local labourers, according to a survey conducted by a union.
Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union, a group under the pro-establishment party the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, interviewed 2,005 construction workers in August and September.
Releasing the findings of its survey on Wednesday (Oct 9), the union said in a statement that 73.7% of workers had reported a “very bad” and “bad” employment situation this year, and 35%of workers said they had been underemployed.
Separately, 82.6%of workers reported that their jobs had been “affected” by the non-local labour scheme. The union said the impact of the scheme included the unemployment of Hong Kong construction workers and reduced salaries.
Among those interviewed, nearly 30 per cent said they had seen a decrease in earnings over the past year, while nearly 60 per cent said their salary had not changed.
Chau Sze-kit, the union’s chair, said during a press conference on Wednesday that considering the weak economic prospects and slow business in the construction sector, only two of 16 types of jobs could expect to enjoy a salary increase from November 1, with salaries for the remaining 14 unchanged.
“Our consensus is that the market is weak and there are not many [development] projects… Even if the workers ask for a higher salary, are they likely to receive it? ” Chau said.
Non-local labour scheme urged to adjust
Hong Kong last year sought to tackle a widespread labour crunch by increasing the quota of non-local labour for certain industries and expanding the sectors allowed to recruit outside the city.
Following the introduction of the Labour Importation Scheme for the construction sector last July, about 9,731 non-local workers have arrived to work on various construction sites, according to government data.
Partnerships
The union’s vice chair Chiu Kin-keung told HKFP in early September that since the start of the new scheme to employ non-local labour, the construction industry has suffered a slump in business.
“Since last June, many property developers stopped developing new projects, partly because the interest rate is too high and they can’t afford loans,” Chiu said.
The union urged the government to review and adjust the scheme to attract non-local workers and to roll out redevelopment projects and renovation projects to provide more jobs for local workers. – HKFP
