Unionists and tycoons picked for low-pay body

A body set up to decide an appropriate level for a statutory minimum wage was officially established yesterday.

But a union leader questioned the composition of the Provisional Minimum Wage Commission. He said three independent members - university economists - were not labour-friendly and were unlikely to favour a call by workers for a minimum hourly rate of HK$33.

The three academics - Leonard Cheng Kwok-hon from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Liu Pak-wai from Chinese University and Ng Sik-hung from City University - are part of the commission's 12-member team. The other nine are union leaders, employers and government officials - three from each sector.

Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah senior counsel and a veteran arbitrator who chairs the Transport Advisory Committee, will lead the commission.

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Matthew Cheung Kin-chung said the commission would base its decisions on the statistical findings of a thorough survey of 60,000 jobs to be launched later this year.

'An initial minimum wage rate would be adopted on the basis of an evidence-based approach and with a view to ensuring a sensible balance between forestalling excessively low wages and minimising the loss of low-paid jobs while sustaining Hong Kong's economic growth and competitiveness,' he said.