Indonesian helpers in Hong Kong to gain renewal option as consul general tackles overcharging
From January 1, agencies no longer required route for domestic workers in the city and their employers to extend their contracts
Indonesian domestic workers and their employers in Hong Kong will no longer be obliged to file contract renewals through agencies from January 1, under a new policy by the country’s consulate in the city that could stop agencies from illegally forcing the workers to pay the renewal fees.
The voluntary policy requires the consent of both the worker and employer and has won the support of domestic workers who said they could finally sit and carefully scan the contract terms.
“The new policy is mainly aimed at making their lives easier,” Indonesian consul general Tri Tharyat said on Wednesday.
At present, employers and domestic workers are required to file contract renewal applications at the consulate through the agencies. The agencies are not legally allowed to charge the workers renewal fees – a sum of around HK$1,000 to HK$2,000 that the employers should bear.
But domestic worker unions said it was common for the agencies and employers to force the workers to bear the cost.