Hong Kong unions call for labour import scheme review amid rising job losses
Hong Kong catering and construction unions have called for a review of the labour import scheme amid high jobless rates in these sectors, with some local workers complaining about being replaced or forced to work fewer days after cheaper staff from outside the city were recruited.
Chau Sze-kit, chairman of the Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union, said on Saturday that the unemployment rate of the construction sector reached a high level of 6.7 per cent, attributing this to the reduced number of local private projects.
He said although the policy of importing workers might not directly affect the unemployment rate, the scheme still led to fewer job opportunities for local staff.
Chau added he received complaints from some workers about being sacked by their employers or having their working days slashed because of the recruitment of imported staff.
He called on the government to be more targeted in importing labour for specific occupations in short supply.
'[Jobless rates] have kept rising. Do we still need to import workers? I think it should be more targeted. The workers should only be imported where there is such a need,' he told a radio programme.
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Hong Kong unions call for labour import scheme review amid rising job losses
Hong Kong catering and construction unions have called for a review of the labour import scheme amid high jobless rates in these sectors, with some local workers complaining about being replaced or forced to work fewer days after cheaper staff from outside the city were recruited. Chau Sze-kit, chairman of the Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union, said on Saturday that the unemployment rate of the construction sector reached a high level of 6.7 per cent, attributing this to the reduced number of local private projects. He said although the policy of importing workers might not directly affect the unemployment rate, the scheme still led to fewer job opportunities for local staff. Chau added he received complaints from some workers about being sacked by their employers or having their working days slashed because of the recruitment of imported staff. He called on the government to be more targeted in importing labour for specific occupations in short supply. '[Jobless rates] have kept rising. Do we still need to import workers? I think it should be more targeted. The workers should only be imported where there is such a need,' he told a radio programme.
