Migrant Domestic Workers Rally for 21% Wage Hike to HK$6,172
HKFP · 1 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong rallied outside the Labour Department on Friday calling for a 21 percent wage increase from HK$5,100 to HK$6,172. The Asian Migrants Coordinating Body (AMCB), the city's largest coalition of migrant worker unions and associations, also demanded tripling the monthly food allowance to HK$3,123. The workers argued that their wages have failed to keep pace with inflation since 2000, when the Minimum Allowable Wage was set at HK$3,670 .
Key Points
- The Asian Migrants Coordinating Body (AMCB) led a Friday rally outside the Labour Department, demanding the Minimum Allowable Wage increase from HK$5,100 to HK$6,172
- The coalition also called for tripling the monthly food allowance from HK$1,236 to HK$3,123, which works out to approximately HK$41 per day
- Spokesperson Sringatin stated that the proposed increase would help workers cope with unending inflation and live with dignity in Hong Kong
- The AMCB noted that the Minimum Allowable Wage has only risen 39 percent cumulatively over 25 years, from HK$3,670 in 2000 to the current HK$5,100
- Employer groups including the Quadripartite Alliance for Harmonious Employment Practices (QAHEP) released a survey in August showing 97 percent of employers opposed pay rises
Why It Matters
The dispute highlights growing tensions between migrant domestic workers and employer groups over fair compensation in a city where hundreds of thousands of foreign workers provide essential caregiving services. The outcome could set a precedent for how Hong Kong balances the economic interests of employers against the living standards of a vulnerable workforce that enables countless dual-income households to function .
The dispute highlights growing tensions between migrant domestic workers and employer groups over fair compensation in a city where hundreds of thousands of foreign workers provide essential caregiving services. The outcome could set a precedent for how Hong Kong balances the economic interests of employers against the living standards of a vulnerable workforce that enables countless dual-income households to function .