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South China Morning Post
11-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Spark Deep Dive: Hong Kong workers complain of losing jobs to imported labour
Deep Dive delves into hot issues in Hong Kong and mainland China. Our easy-to-read articles provide context to grasp what's happening, while our questions help you craft informed responses. Check sample answers at the end of the page. News: Hong Kong workers complain of losing jobs to imported labour Local employees are often forced to take hourly or daily wages, while imported workers receive salaries and contracts More than 200 restaurant employees say they have been replaced by workers who came to the city via an import scheme Hongkonger Har Cheng* was forced to quit the food stall she had worked at for almost two decades. She later found out she had been replaced by imported labourers from mainland China. Cheng, 67, felt angry and mistreated. She spent years helping to wash dishes, clean tables, and sell beers at the traditional dai pai dong. She said her loyalty over the years had all been 'for nothing'. 'I thought I had a few more years to work before retirement, and the stall had at least 28 workers,' she said. How could I expect I would be the first to be targeted?' Over the past six months, Cheng and 200 other restaurant workers have reported being sacked and replaced by labourers who came to the city via an import scheme, according to the Eating Establishment Employees General Union. Unionists and human rights advocacy group the Society for Community Organisation raised concerns about the impact of the scheme ahead of Labour Day on May 1. They said they had received reports from local workers who were replaced by imported labourers. The scheme was introduced in 2023 to combat the city's manpower shortage. The government began allowing employers to bring in unskilled or low-skilled workers from the mainland for 26 new job types, including waiters and hospitality staff in catering. So far, 54,278 workers have been allowed to come to the city. The catering sector accounted for most of these jobs, with around 8,900 waiters, 11,400 chefs and 2,700 dishwashers working in restaurant chains, street food stalls and other diners. Cheng said the employer had cut her working hours from eight to four hours a day after a few imported labourers arrived in February. Normally, she would earn up to HK$16,000 (US$2,062) a month. She could barely afford her rent with the reduced working hours. She spoke to her employer and was told to resign if she did not accept the new arrangement. Cheng said she was forced to quit in March. According to the union's labour rights committee, the fired workers were mostly older and had flexible contracts. Imported labourers were required to sign contracts and received monthly salaries. However, local workers were forced to take hourly or daily wages to cater to the restaurant's operational needs. *Name changed at interviewee's request. Staff writers Question prompts 1. Which of the following is true, according to the news? (1) Har Cheng quit her job when she was denied retirement benefits. (2) More than 200 restaurant workers have reported being sacked because of the import scheme. (3) Imported workers don't require contracts. (4) Around 54,000 mainland workers have come to the city since 2023. A. (1), (2) only B. (2), (3) only C. (2), (4) only D. (3), (4) only 2. According to the news, which groups are particularly vulnerable to the city's import scheme? 3. How does the labour import scheme affect the working conditions and job security of local restaurant workers like Cheng? Explain using the news and glossary. People dine at a restaurant in Tsim Sha Tsui. Photo: Jelly Tse Question prompts 1. What is being shown in the photo? How does it relate to the information in the news? 2. Using the news and glossary, explain why Hong Kong introduced imported labourers. Glossary import scheme: refers to the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme launched in September 2023. It was designed to address the manpower shortage across different sectors, including ones considered unskilled or low-skilled, and allows businesses to recruit workers from outside Hong Kong, mainly mainland China. Society for Community Organisation: a non-governmental human rights advocacy group founded in Hong Kong in 1971 operational needs: the necessary resources and services a business needs to run. These include employees, equipment, materials, and other supplies. Sample answers News 1. C 2. Local workers who are older and have flexible contracts. 3. The scheme has reportedly led to local workers like Cheng being replaced or having their hours cut significantly. Despite years of loyalty, Cheng's working hours were halved, drastically reducing her income and forcing her to quit when she objected. Many affected workers were older and on flexible contracts, making them more vulnerable to being replaced. In contrast, imported labourers are given more stable monthly salaries and written contracts, highlighting an imbalance in job security and treatment between local and imported workers. Photo 1. The photo shows a restaurant employee who could be susceptible to the city's labour import scheme discussed in the news. 2. Hong Kong was facing a shortage of workers, especially in low-skilled jobs like catering and hospitality. The import scheme was launched to bring in workers from mainland China to supplement existing local workers and help businesses continue to operate.
South China Morning Post
11-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Deep Dive: Hong Kong workers say they are losing jobs under labour import scheme
Deep Dive delves into hot issues in Hong Kong and mainland China. Our easy-to-read articles provide context to grasp what's happening, while our questions help you craft informed responses. Check sample answers at the end of the page. News: Hong Kong workers complain of losing jobs to imported labour Local employees are often forced to take hourly or daily wages, while imported workers receive salaries More than 200 restaurant employees have reported being sacked and replaced by imported workers Hongkonger Har Cheng* was forced to quit the food stall she had worked at for almost two decades. She later found out she had been replaced by imported labourers from mainland China. Feeling angry and mistreated, Cheng, 67, said her loyalty over the years had all been 'for nothing'. 'I thought I had a few more years to work before retirement, and the stall had at least 28 workers,' she said. How could I expect I would be the first to be targeted?' Over the past six months, Cheng and 200 other restaurant workers have reported being sacked and replaced by labourers who came to the city via an import scheme, according to the Eating Establishment Employees General Union. Unionists and human rights advocacy group the Society for Community Organisation raised concerns about the impact of the scheme ahead of Labour Day on May 1. They said they had received reports from local workers who were replaced by imported labourers. To combat the city's manpower shortage, the government in 2023 allowed employers to bring in unlimited unskilled or low-skilled workers from the mainland for 26 new job types, including waiters and hospitality staff in catering. Deep Dive: Role of community pharmacies as Hong Kong aims to revamp public healthcare So far, 54,278 workers have been allowed to come to the city. The catering sector accounted for most of these jobs, with around 8,900 waiters, 11,400 chefs and 2,700 dishwashers working in restaurant chains, street food stalls and other diners. Cheng said the employer had cut her working hours from eight to four hours a day after a few imported labourers arrived in February. Normally, she would earn up to HK$16,000 (US$2,062) a month. She could barely afford her rent with the reduced working hours. She took it up with her employer and was told to resign if she did not accept the new arrangement. Cheng said she was forced to quit in March. According to the union's labour rights committee, the fired workers were mostly older and had flexible contracts. It said that while imported labourers were required to sign contracts and received monthly salaries, local workers were forced to take hourly or daily wages to cater to the restaurant's operational needs. *Name changed at interviewee's request. Staff writers Question prompts 1. Which of the following is true, according to News? (1) Har Cheng quit her job when she was denied retirement benefits. (2) More than 200 restaurant workers have been sacked because of the import scheme. (3) Imported workers don't require contracts. (4) Around 54,000 mainland workers have come to the city since 2023. A. (1), (2) only B. (2), (3) only C. (2), (4) only D. (3), (4) only 2. According to News, which groups are particularly vulnerable to the city's import scheme? 3. How does the labour import scheme affect the working conditions and job security of local restaurant workers like Cheng? Explain using News and Glossary. Photo Older employees are especially at risk of losing their jobs to imported workers. Photo: May Tse Question prompts 1. How does the photo relate to the news about the labour import scheme? Explain using News and Glossary. 2. Using News, list TWO concerns local workers have about imported labour. Issue: Catering union calls for regular review of Hong Kong labour scheme Some argue the measure is being used to replace workers rather than supplement them Union head secretary said the government should establish a way to pause the scheme if necessary A catering sector union has urged the Hong Kong government to regularly review a scheme to import workers to ease staff shortages and pause it if needed. The Eating Establishment Employees General Union said it had received a surge of complaints over the past six months from sacked restaurant workers. Some complained that they were let go with immediate effect and replaced by imported workers. In a union survey of 2,054 local workers, more than 1,500 respondents said their employers had brought in foreign labour. Some 83 per cent said they knew someone who had been fired after hiring imported workers. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said in 2023 that authorities would ensure local jobseekers were given priority in employment. Hence, the scheme requires employers to carry out a four-week recruitment drive in the city before applications for importing workers are reviewed by the Labour Department. To avoid employers cutting costs by hiring cheap labourers, bosses must also pay imported workers no less than the median monthly wage of the relevant job. 'The original intention of the scheme was to supplement workers, but unfortunately, it has turned out to be a replacement of local workers,' union head secretary Wong Pit-man said. The two-year scheme is set to undergo a review in September. Wong called on the government to carry out regular reviews and set up a mechanism to halt the scheme if necessary. Deep Dive: Hong Kong's cinemas struggle to survive as more people turn to streaming platforms Union honorary chairman Kwok Wang-hing said that although there was a need to bring in younger workers to fill vacancies, the main issue was the rapid importation of new labourers in the industry. 'It raises a big question as to whether [the government] should fill manpower step by step, instead of injecting new labourers within a short period,' Kwok said. The Labour Department recently reiterated that employers should not replace local workers with imported labour or they would be subject to 'administrative sanction', including refusal of their future applications or revocation of the granted quota for imported workers, if they violate the relevant rules. Anthony Yau Yiu-shing, vice-chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions, said there was no existing legislation to regulate employers who sacked local workers after they hired imported labourers, as this action did not fall under 'unreasonable or unlawful dismissal' under the Employment Ordinance. Workers had found it difficult to prove their dismissal was the direct result of the new hires, as employers could always make an excuse and say they were not satisfied with their performance, Yau added. Staff writers Question prompts 1. What has Hong Kong's Labour Department said about the import scheme? (1) Companies must pay imported workers the median wage for the job. (2) Businesses should hire young employees. (3) Local workers should not be replaced by imported labour. (4) Local employees should be let go first. A. (2), (4) only B. (1), (3) only C. (1), (4) only D. (2), (3) only 2. List TWO issues local workers might face when trying to argue they were replaced by imported labour. 3. To what extent do you agree that Hong Kong should import workers from mainland China? Explain using News, Issue and Glossary. Photo People dine at a restaurant in Tsim Sha Tsui. Photo: Jelly Tse 1. According to Issue, list ONE reason why Hong Kong restaurant workers are particularly vulnerable under the city's import scheme. 2. What can be done to safeguard local employees working in the catering sector? Explain using Issue and your own knowledge. Glossary import scheme: refers to the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme launched in September 2023. It was designed to address the manpower shortage across different sectors, including ones considered unskilled or low-skilled, and allows businesses to recruit workers from outside Hong Kong, mainly mainland China. Society for Community Organisation: a non-governmental human rights advocacy group founded in Hong Kong in 1971 operational needs: the necessary resources and services a business needs to run. These include employees, equipment, materials, and other supplies. immediate effect: when a worker is fired or their contract ends right away, without any notice period or warning Sample answers News 1. C 2. Local workers who are older and have flexible contracts. 3. The scheme has reportedly led to local workers like Cheng being replaced or having their hours cut significantly. Despite years of loyalty, Cheng's working hours were halved, drastically reducing her income and forcing her to quit when she objected. Many affected workers were older and on flexible contracts, making them more vulnerable to being replaced. In contrast, imported labourers are given more stable monthly salaries and written contracts, highlighting an imbalance in job security and treatment between local and imported workers. Photo 1. The photo shows an older restaurant employee likely susceptible to the city's labour import scheme discussed in the news. 2. Although the scheme's original goal was to combat the city's manpower shortage and supplement existing local workers, many fear they will instead be replaced. Even if they keep their jobs, some workers fear their hours could be reduced, meaning their pay will be cut as well (accept all reasonable answers). Issue 1. B 2. According to Anthony Yau Yiu-shing, vice-chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions, there is no legislation to regulate employers who sack local workers after hiring imported labourers, as it does not count as 'unreasonable or unlawful dismissal' under the Employment Ordinance. It can also be difficult to prove their dismissal was the direct result of the new hires, as employers could claim they were unsatisfied with their performance. 3. I partially agree that Hong Kong should import workers from mainland China, but only to a limited extent and only if local workers are protected from being laid off under the scheme. If there is a genuine labour shortage that cannot be filled locally, bringing in workers can help businesses continue operating and support economic stability. However, local workers should not be replaced by imported labourers. According to News and Issue, many older workers like Har Cheng have been dismissed or pressured to quit despite years of loyalty just to cut costs. This is unfair and harms the livelihoods of people who have contributed to the industry for decades. Instead, the government should ensure that local workers are prioritised for job opportunities, and imported labour should only be used to fill genuine gaps. Regular reviews and stronger labour protections are necessary to prevent exploitation and preserve employment for Hong Kong residents (accept all reasonable answers). Photo 1. Many restaurant workers tend to be older or on flexible contracts, making it easier to dismiss them for younger employees or those on fixed contracts who might be cheaper. 2. According to Issue, the government should conduct regular reviews of the import scheme and create a mechanism to pause it if it affects local employment. Additionally, employers should be required to prioritise keeping local staff and only use imported labour when genuinely necessary. From a broader perspective, better enforcement of fair hiring practices and offering more secure contracts and training opportunities to local workers could also help protect them from being displaced.
RTHK
09-05-2025
- Business
- RTHK
Congee chain axings hard to swallow for staff
Congee chain axings hard to swallow for staff The Eating Establishment Employees General Union organised a consultation meeting on Friday to give the axed Ocean Empire Food Shop workers clarity on their rights and offer assistance. Photo; RTHK Axed employees of Ocean Empire Food Shop are urging its owners to show up and address the issues of unpaid wages, pension and severance payments after the local congee restaurant chain closed all its outlets and ceased operations after 33 years in business earlier this week in one fell swoop. The Eating Establishment Employees General Union organised a consultation meeting on Friday afternoon to clarify any questions that the sacked staff may have about their rights and offer assistance. Among the ex-staff in attendance was Yau, who oversaw the restaurant chain's production line. She said the line had lost half its staff over the past three years. She said the company had been doing badly for quite some time, with suppliers visiting the office weeks before the closure asking for payments. 'Why are the owners doing this to workers who gave everything to Ocean Empire?' she spoke with raw feelings 'Many of us worked here for over 30 years and were not even given a few months of pension," Yau said amid complaints by some staff who said the company had deducted mandatory provident fund (MPF) contributions from salaries but had not paid them to the workers' schemes. "We have spent decades, the best years of our lives, serving the company, but the owners just disappeared irresponsibly.' Another former employee, Li, said her last month's salary and MPF payments are overdue. She said she was disappointed with Hong Kong's employment protections after coming from Guangdong to work here for just one year. The union's chief secretary, Wong Pit-man, said the union will work closely with the Labour Department on follow-up actions. Senior manager Jackie Lee from the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority also attended the meeting, and pledged to help workers recover the unpaid MPF contributions. He noted that the company has about HK$570,000 in overdue MPF contributions for all its staff between January and March. Also among those attending was Anthony Yau, vice-chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions, who said affected workers can also use the party's employment centre to find new jobs.
South China Morning Post
08-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong congee chain's closure leaves mainland workers without wages, home
The abrupt closure of a three-decade-old congee restaurant chain in Hong Kong has left around 20 imported workers from mainland China facing eviction from their dormitory and worried about being sent home without collecting unpaid wages. Advertisement The mainland workers, who arrived in Hong Kong through the city's supplementary labour scheme in May last year, were among more than 100 employees of Ocean Empire Food Shop who sought help from the Eating Establishment Employees General Union over unpaid wages of about HK$3 million. They sought help on Thursday after Ocean Empire announced the previous evening that it had closed all of its seven outlets. The Labour Department said it received requests for help from more than 80 workers claiming outstanding wages of more than HK$8 million. A worker from Foshan in Guangdong province, who only gave her last name Qian, said the company had 'heartlessly' forced them to immediately move out of their dormitory in Yau Ma Tei. Advertisement 'The door just shut suddenly with no sign at all [on Wednesday]. Upon checking my bank records, I found my wage in April had not been deposited,' she said.
The Star
03-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
‘All for nothing': Hong Kong workers complain of losing jobs to imported labour
After being forced to quit, Har Cheng* went to the Hong Kong food stall she had worked at for almost two decades, only to find out she had been replaced by imported labourers from mainland China. Feeling angry and mistreated, Cheng, 67, who helped wash dishes, clean tables and sell beers at the traditional dai pai dong, said her loyalty over the years had all been 'for nothing'. 'I thought I just had a few more years to work before retirement, and the stall had at least 28 workers ... How could I expect I would be the first to be targeted?' Cheng said. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. Over the past six months, Cheng and 200 other restaurant workers have reported being sacked and replaced by labourers who came to the city via an import scheme, according to the Eating Establishment Employees General Union. Unionists and human rights advocacy group the Society for Community Organisation raised concerns about the impact of the scheme ahead of Labour Day on May 1, saying they had heard and received reports from local workers who were replaced by imported labourers. To combat the city's manpower shortage, the government in September 2023 allowed employers to bring in unlimited unskilled or low-skilled workers from the mainland for 26 new job types, including waiters, junior chefs, and hospitality and sales staff in catering. So far, 54,278 workers have been allowed to come to the city. The catering sector accounted for most of the jobs, with around 8,900 waiters, 11,400 chefs and 2,700 dishwashers working in restaurant chains, street food stalls and other diners. Cheng said the employer had cut her working hours from eight to four hours a day after a few imported labourers arrived at the stall in February. Normally, she would earn up to HK$16,000 (US$2,062) a month, but she could barely afford her rent with the reduced working hours. She took it up to the employer but was asked to resign immediately if she did not accept the new arrangement. Cheng said she was forced to quit in March. According to the union's labour rights committee, the fired workers were mostly older and had flexible contracts. It said that while imported labourers were required to sign contracts and received monthly salaries, local workers were forced to take hourly or daily wages to cater to the restaurant's operational needs. The union's recent survey revealed that 83 per cent of 1,500 respondents, who said their employers had brought in foreign labour, knew of local colleagues fired after imported workers were hired. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said in 2023 that authorities would ensure city jobseekers were given priority in employment. Hence, the scheme requires employers to carry out a four-week recruitment drive in the city before applications for importing workers are reviewed by the Labour Department. To avoid employers cutting costs by hiring cheap labourers, bosses also have to pay imported workers no less than the median monthly wage of the relevant job. In response, the department reiterated that employers should not replace local workers with imported labour or they would be subject to 'administrative sanction', including refusal of their future applications or revocation of the granted quota for imported workers, if they violate the relevant rules. Anthony Yau Yiu-shing, vice-chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions, said there was no existing legislation to regulate employers who sacked local workers after they hired imported labourers, as this action did not fall under 'unreasonable or unlawful dismissal' under the Employment Ordinance. Workers had found it difficult to prove their dismissal was the direct result of the new hires, as employers could always make an excuse and say they were not satisfied with their performance, Yau added. 'Local workers are kind of helpless in this situation,' he said. In Cheng's case, she said she was only compensated for statutory holidays and long service payment and received about HK$180,000. She said the employer denied forcing her to quit because of the new hires. Yau urged the government to disclose the list of firms that imported labourers from the mainland, so that the union could monitor workers' conditions. His group also called for setting up a mechanism to pause the import labour scheme when necessary. A 66-year-old kitchen assistant, surnamed Wong, also said that he had been replaced. He said he started a new job in a restaurant chain in February, but had not been rostered to work since March, adding he was told by his supervisor that he would be transferred to a new store. He later found out that two new imported labourers, who were younger than him and willing to multitask as cashiers, had joined the branch where he worked. 'Employers are just taking advantage of locals to fill up the position while waiting for imported workers to come,' he said. *Name changed at interviewee's request. More from South China Morning Post: For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2025.
