Latest news with #labourprotection
South China Morning Post
6 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong to consider stronger laws to protect food delivery workers this year
Hong Kong authorities will propose to improve the rights and benefits of food delivery workers this year and consider legislative means to protect them better, following a string of recent labour disputes and protests. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han told lawmakers at a Legislative Council meeting on Wednesday that authorities would reinforce protection of workers on food delivery apps and had set up a liaison group composed of representatives from the government, operators and labour groups to explore suitable measures. Some lawmakers highlighted the need for greater scrutiny of such workers, noting that many of them operated illegally. Sun revealed that the authority had studied the regulatory regime in mainland China, where the Supreme People's Court had determined and defined the relationship between platform operators and workers based on work arrangements. He added that based on the findings of two surveys conducted by the Labour Department last year, workers were 'most concerned about work injury compensation'. Lawmakers voiced concerns that the current protection of food delivery workers in the city lagged behind many regions, including mainland China and some Western countries. In Hong Kong, food delivery workers have gathered to protest on several occasions in recent weeks.
South China Morning Post
22-05-2025
- Climate
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong authorities step up safety measures after worker dies from heatstroke
Hong Kong labour authorities have stepped up measures to better protect outdoor workers at risk of heatstroke by subsidising employers who want to purchase cooling equipment, as the city issued its fourth 'very hot weather' warning in less than a week. The announcement followed a fatal industrial incident of a 42-year-old worker, who reportedly suffered from heatstroke and fainted at a hospital construction site on Wednesday. He was pronounced dead at Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin that same afternoon. The worker's father was so shocked to learn about the sudden death that he cried in front of local media, saying: 'I still do not know … why I suddenly lost my son.' The city has seen several torrid days since last Saturday, with the Hong Kong Observatory issuing four 'very hot weather' warning signals within six days. Some places in the New Territories recorded temperatures of more than 33 degrees Celsius (91.4 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday, while some areas rose to 35 degrees on Thursday afternoon. The weather forecaster issued the amber heat stress warning from 1.30pm to 4.30pm on Thursday, alerting outdoor workers of different job types to rest for 15 to 45 minutes every hour. Deputy Commissioner for the Labour Department Vincent Fung Hao-yin told the press heatstroke was preventable if employers took appropriate measures to help workers cool down.
