Immigration officers will lose their lunch break under a proposal to open more border checkpoint counters to cope with an expected increase in mainland visitors.
Assistant Director of Immigration Chan Ching-bor said the proposal aimed to maximise the deployment of manpower during peak hours by cutting the eight-hour daily shift of officers to seven. 'The lunch hour will not be included in the roster,' Mr Chan said.
While immigration officers might have to work non-stop for seven hours, toilet breaks would not be under scrutiny. He said disciplined services officers should be expected to work irregular hours, including having dinner or lunch outside usual mealtimes.
Under the proposal, which immigration officers were briefed on yesterday, the number of counters at the airport could be increased from 63 to 106 during peak periods, such as from 12.30pm to 1pm.
At Lowu, the number of counters during peak hours on Friday night would be increased from 129 to 161.
Mr Chan said the adjustment to the roster system was one of the measures the department was considering to cope with an expected increase in the number of mainlanders.