Foreign domestic helpers' pay was cut by five per cent yesterday as the Government bowed to calls from employers' groups to help families cope with the recession.
The $190-a-month cut - from $3,860 to $3,670 - applies to new contracts signed from today. Maids employed earlier should receive the higher rate until contracts expire, officials said.
Secretary for Education and Manpower Joseph Wong Wing-ping admitted that maids were among the lowest paid in Hong Kong, but said it was a 'relatively small reduction'.
But Philippine Consul-General Estrella Berenguel said: 'I feel sad for my people. Every little amount means a lot to them.' In Manila, President Joseph Estrada was saddened by the decision.
The Executive Council had resisted pressure from the Hong Kong Employers of Overseas Domestic Helpers and provisional urban councillor Jennifer Chow Kit-bing for cuts of 35 and 20 per cent respectively.
Workers' unions, furious at the cut after maids had received just one pay rise in the past five years, warned unscrupulous employers were set to fire current employees so they could hire cheaper workers.
