The Census and Statistics Department will increase the scope of its pay survey by including 3,000 more small and medium-sized enterprises, to collect more data in preparation for introducing a universal statutory minimum wage.
The news emerged as the department and the Economic Analysis and Business Facilitation Unit briefed a meeting of the Labour Advisory Board yesterday.
The board's employers' representative, Stanley Lau Chin-ho, said the department would extend its survey to cover more small and medium-sized enterprises because a universal minimum wage law might have a big impact on them. 'The department has already begun collecting data which will be used for the legislative work of the law and setting the minimum wage level,' he said.
'More data is available about cleaners and security guards, but we need more on other sectors for Hong Kong that will have a universal statutory minimum wage.'
At present, the department's pay survey covers about 15,000 enterprises from different sectors.
Unionist legislator and employees' representative Ip Wai-ming said more data was needed as the existing wage survey only covered selected occupations and industries, failing to provide detailed data on the distribution of wages of all employees.
