Hong Kong tests foreign elder carers amid ageing pressure
SCMP · 1 SOURCES1 day ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong’s government plans to launch a pilot scheme allowing foreign domestic helpers with higher-level training and experience to care for elderly people living at home. The idea, outlined in Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s policy address and later detailed by Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han, has quickly prompted debate among workers and employers over wages and access.
Key Points
- Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said in his policy address that Hong Kong would introduce a pilot scheme for specially qualified carers to support elderly people at home.
- Labour and Welfare Secretary Chris Sun Yuk-han later said eligible carers would need a suitable certificate and three years of relevant experience.
- Under the proposal, these carers could be paid 10 to 20 per cent above the standard domestic helper wage floor.
- Hong Kong’s current minimum allowable wage for foreign domestic workers is HK$5,100 a month, according to the briefing details.
- The government also plans to regularise pilot training schemes for domestic helpers in elderly care and care for people with disabilities.
Why It Matters
The proposal touches two sensitive groups at once: helpers already providing elder care who may seek higher pay, and employers worried that labour costs could rise further. Betty Yung Ma Shan-yee, chairwoman of the Hong Kong Employers of Domestic Helpers Association, said about 30 per cent of the city’s 378,000 helpers were already caring for elderly people as part of their duties.