Temporary workers rally against plan not to renew their contracts

About 200 contract workers from the Buildings Department took to the streets yesterday to protest against plans not to renew their contracts because the project for which they were hired - the removal of illegal building works - was almost completed.

The protesters, who chanted slogans and marched from the Legislative Council to the Central Government Offices, said about 700 contract staff would be left unemployed when their contracts expire this year.

'We believe the department will not have enough manpower if the contract staff go,' said protest organiser Kong Yuk-yin of the Buildings Department Non-Civil Service Contract Staff Liaison Group.

Some of the contract workers had joined the department as early as 2001 when the government launched a campaign to demolish unauthorised structures across the city, she said. The workers' monthly salaries ranged from about HK$5,000 to HK$30,000.

Kong said that according to government figures there were about 800,000 illegal building works in 1999, but so far only about 380,000 of the more dangerous structures had been removed.

'Even though the rest are less risky and dangerous, they may still be a threat to the public ... We hope the government will hire us to continue the removal work,' she said, adding that the group might stage industrial action if the department failed to address the issue.