Make all public holidays statutory, say marchers Unionists want labour laws revised to allow blue-collar workers five more public holidays a year. The campaign, led by the Confederation of Trade Unions, seeks to scrap the practice of having separate sets of holidays for blue-collar and white-collar workers. The confederation wants to make all 17 public holidays statutory paid holidays for every worker. About 2 million workers in Hong Kong - or 60 per cent of the 3.5 million total - are entitled to only 12 paid public holidays a year, lawmaker Lee Cheuk-yan, general secretary of the confederation, said. Most work in the catering, retail, transport and construction sectors. But many office workers got 17 paid public holidays off a year, he said. According to the General Holidays Ordinance, public holidays are taken by all banks, educational establishments and government departments. Mr Lee led a dozen confederation unionists yesterday on a march from HSBC headquarters in Central to the government headquarters in protest at what they said was discrimination against some workers. 'It is very unfair that some have 17 days while others only get 12. All workers should be treated fairly,' he said. 'The government is hypocritical. It says it promotes family-friendly workplaces but many workers in Hong Kong still work extremely long hours. It is a pity that some Hong Kong people have become slaves and hardly have free time.' According to the Employment Ordinance, an employee is entitled to 12 statutory paid public holidays. Bosses are not required to give their workers paid leave on all 17 of the holidays. Statutory holidays exclude five public holidays: Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Monday, Buddha's Birthday and the Boxing Day holiday. Mr Lee said he planned to move a motion in the legislature next month. The confederation is also organising a month-long signature campaign until the end of next month to press the government for action. Fellow unionist legislator Leung Yiu-chung said the campaign should just be a start and the ordinance should be reviewed to better protect labour rights. The campaign was cautiously welcomed by Mr Lee's rival Federation of Trade Unions. Federation lawmaker Wong Kwok-hing said he supported the idea in principle but needed to consider the details. But a deputy chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Industries, Stanley Lau Chin-ho, said the system had been running smoothly for decades and he saw no need for change. 'We believe the market will make adjustments automatically. For example, in the past, most offices worked a 51/2-day week. Now, we work five days a week. 'There is no need to change the law to offer more holidays to workers. If a company does not offer decent terms ... it will lose its workers.' Wong Ka-wo, president of the Federation of Restaurants, warned that workers would become victims if Mr Lee's campaign succeeded. 'It will increase the costs of restaurateurs ... If employers are asked to shoulder more burden, I am afraid some may have to quit and at the end of the day workers will lose jobs.' Stephen Cheung Yan-leung, an economist at City University, said giving workers five more days off a year should not have a significant impact on the economy. A government spokesman said it would try to balance the interests of employers and employees. An employee is entitled to the following 12 statutory holidays January 1 1st, 2nd and 3rd days of Lunar New Year Ching Ming Festival May 1 Tuen Ng Festival The day following the Mid-Autumn Festival Chung Yeung Festival Chinese Winter Solstice or Christmas Day (at the option of the employer) July 1 October 1 Q&A Are the statutory holidays with pay or without pay? An employee having been employed under a continuous contract for not less than three months is entitled to pay on statutory holidays Can an employer require an employee to work on statutory holidays? Yes. An employer is required to give his employee at least 48 hours' prior notice for work on a statutory holiday. The employer must then arrange an alternative holiday within 60 days before or after the statutory holiday
