Political parties and elected public office bearers who do not want to break the law are busy doing calculations as the May 1 enforcement of the minimum wage law nears.
Some staff at the offices of parties and District Council members are paid at hourly rates that will fall below the statutory HK$28 if meal hours and rest days are paid.
Their employers say they would rather pay their staff more to ensure compliance with the new law than try to get around the new rules, as some companies have done amid intense public criticism.
'We ourselves support the minimum-wage legislation. We can't violate the law,' said Democratic Party chief executive Chan Ka-wai. 'We at the headquarters have been very busy these two or three weeks, dedicating all our time to reviewing staff remuneration.'
The party estimates that more than 20 employees working at its headquarters, for legislative councillors and for district councillors - 15 to 20 per cent of all of its staff - will get a pay rise.
While most staff are paid monthly, Chan said some had hourly rates between HK$25 and HK$28 if paid meal breaks and holidays were included. Most were in junior positions, including some clerical jobs.