More than 150 people protested last night as the Social Welfare Department marked its 40th anniversary with a banquet after proposing drastic benefit cuts.
Protesters shouted slogans after failing to present a bowl of congee to Chief Secretary for Administration Anson Chan Fang On-sang and Director for Social Welfare Andrew Leung Kin-pong, who attended the dinner at the Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The protesters were met by Deputy Director of Social Welfare Louise Wong Yau Sin-yu, who promised the department would listen to public opinion about the welfare review. Led by an alliance of five social workers' unions and concern groups, dole recipients, single parents, low income earners and social workers ate congee outside.
Lai Wing-shing, chairman of the Social Work Assistant Branch of the Hong Kong Chinese Civil Servants' Association, said: 'This protest is to express the big contrast between how little the poor have while the officials are feasting.' More than 1,000 department staff paid $560 each to attend. Taxpayers paid for about 110 guests from the welfare sector.