Workers' Rights Group Urges Overhaul of Compensation Ordinance with 13 Proposals
On.cc · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
The Hong Kong Workers' Rights Connection (Workers' Rights Connection) submitted a policy paper to the government on the final day of its five-year planning public consultation on January 14, urging a comprehensive overhaul of the Employees' Compensation Ordinance. The submission came as the organization highlighted that over 40,000 workers sustain workplace injuries annually while more than 200 lose their lives to work-related incidents each year, describing the existing system as inadequate to ensure reasonable compensation for victims and their families .
Key Points
- The organization proposed establishing a central compensation fund modeled on existing mechanisms for pneumoconiosis and occupational deafness, aiming to resolve disputes and address employers who fail to purchase mandatory labor insurance .
- Recommendations include creating dedicated work injury clinics and a work injury tribunal to streamline legal procedures and better address the needs of injured workers .
- The group called for raising the "periodic payment" rate during sick leave from four-fifths to full salary, and increasing the daily medical expense reimbursement cap beyond the current HK$500 limit .
- The submission urged removing the HK$38,670 monthly income ceiling in death and permanent total disability calculations, and expanding compensation coverage to include commute accidents, overwork deaths, and heatstroke cases .
- Additional proposals include designating April 28 annually as an official Workers' Memorial Day, incorporating safety education into primary and secondary school curricula, and establishing a Hong Kong Integrated Safety Education Centre .
Why It Matters
The proposals arrive at a critical juncture as Hong Kong's labor force continues to face significant occupational safety challenges, with the organization demanding stronger regulatory enforcement and expanded worker protections that could reshape employer obligations and compensation standards across the territory .
The proposals arrive at a critical juncture as Hong Kong's labor force continues to face significant occupational safety challenges, with the organization demanding stronger regulatory enforcement and expanded worker protections that could reshape employer obligations and compensation standards across the territory .