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Cindy Sui

EMPLOYMENT agencies punished for offering maids at below the minimum wage were playing by the rules when approached by undercover reporters this week.

 Three agencies that have lost their Philippine Consulate-issued licences insisted on sticking to the law when approached by Sunday Morning Post reporters posing as prospective employers.

 Others offered helpers willing to accept less than the minimum $3,860 a month.

 Rico Yim of Milestone Services said he could not provide anyone for less than the legal minimum without risking losing his licence through the consulate.

 He did not mention that Milestone had lost its licence.

 'I'm sorry, I can't help you. It's very dangerous,' he said when asked for someone at below the legal rate.

 Last month, Milestone said it had five maids willing to work for $3,000 a month.

 At Asian Time Limited, which last month said Indonesian helpers could be hired for $2,500 a month, a representative said, 'That's illegal,' when told that other agencies had offered maids for $3,500.

 A woman at Goodmark Employment & Trading Co said many maids were willing to take jobs at less than the minimum, but she would not let them. If she did, both the agency and the employer could be prosecuted, she said. Goodmark, based in Wan Chai, last month said it would try to supply a maid at $3,000 a month.

 But other agencies were prepared to break the law.

 Loyal Servant Employment Agency in Yau Ma Tei introduced a reporter to two maids, a Nepalese woman willing to work for $3,000 and a Filipina willing to work for $3,500.

  A staff member at the agency said she could refer more maids to the reporter if the two did not suit. She said: 'I can find you a lot more maids who will work for $3,000.'  Another agency, A&E Employment Centre in Mongkok, had several maids willing to work for less than the minimum wage.

 An employee of the agency said: 'You tell them how much you want to pay. Many of them would agree to work for less than $3,860.' 



Punished trio stick to rules but others still willing to play dirty