A sharp rise in the number of disputes taken to the Labour Tribunal has led to much longer waits for settlement - a situation that workers say employers have exploited to delay payments and compensation.
According to the Labour Department, the number of labour disputes reached 26,622 in the first nine months of the year, an increase of 3,350 on the same period last year and 18 per cent more than the 2000 figure.
The time workers have had to wait to file claims with the Labour Tribunal for unpaid wages has risen from 11 days in 2000 to 14 days last year and 21 days this year. After filing claims, workers have had to wait a further 25 days for the first hearing, four days more than two years ago.
Many employees were forced to accept only partial compensation from their bosses as they could not afford to live without the income while taking legal action for full payments.
It was even worse for expatriate workers. Many have had to waive claims and leave Hong Kong after losing their jobs.
Aurora Espinach, a former restaurant manager in Central, said that when she was sacked two weeks ago, her employer owed her one month's wages, six months of tips and one month in lieu of notice.
She claimed her boss tried to force her to sign a letter admitting she mistreated customers. When she refused, he withheld the payments and told her to take the case to court.