Unionists voice support for government's labour import policy
Lawmakers voice support for adminstration's stand to keep existing policy on overseas hiring in order to protect job opportunities for locals
Unionists yesterday backed the government's stance that bringing non-local labour into the city needs to be carried out through an existing scheme.
They warned that any attempt to improve the scheme had to be made carefully.
The labour minister gave assurances that any new ideas would be developed within the existing Supplementary Labour Scheme in order to protect locals.
The unionists were making their views known on the first day of the public consultation on population policy.
Federation of Trade Unions lawmaker Tang Ka-piu said he hoped that if the government "improved" the scheme, it would not make it easier to import non-local workers.
Labour Party lawmaker Lee Cheuk-yan said: "If we abandon the scheme and allow homes for the elderly to import 5,000 elderly-care workers, that would mean 5,000 fewer jobs for locals."
Simon Wong Ka-wo, president of the Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades, said the scheme should cover more types of work, such as waiters. Many restaurants were offering waiters HK$60 an hour, but they still struggled to hire people, he said.