THIRTEEN imported workers, trying to return to the mainland after being sacked, were turned back at Lowu yesterday because their employment agency had their passports.
The mainlanders, who had worked on the Chek Lap Kok passenger terminal building, were forced to return to Hong Kong yesterday afternoon.
They said their passports had been kept by their job agency, which had demanded they hand over part of their salaries after their contracts were terminated on Monday.
One man said he and his colleagues had received only $125 a day, in contravention of the terms stated in their contracts. Workers had to give the remainder of their $11,300 monthly income to the agency, he said.
But yesterday, the labourer said he had tried to leave the territory with his full $40,000 payment after termination.
'We are Chinese nationals; we think it is feasible to go back to our homeland. So we tried even without a passport.
