Government putting Hong Kong public at risk by not committing to register of tree workers and landscapers, experts say
Experts say current system putting public and employees at risk, but government says testing of skill standards may lead to shortages
The government has been accused of brushing aside mounting calls to set up a register of tree and landscaping workers despite experts saying it would help lift standards and public safety.
A number of organisations representing the industry voiced concern about the "non-committal" attitude of the government towards the idea of a registration system following a meeting last month with representatives of the Development Bureau, training institutes and the Construction Industry Council.
Industry leaders and the government have been locked in a dispute for over two years, with the former pushing for the introduction of a registration system under the Construction Workers Registration Ordinance following a number of accidents involving trees both on and off construction sites in recent years.
A register would see tree and landscape workers, including chainsaw operators, needing to pass a trade test to ensure their skills meet required standards.
Experts say substandard maintenance of trees, including poor planting, pruning and trimming, create health hazards for trees which pose risks to the public as well as the workers themselves. There are currently about 60 tree workers certified to climb trees and over 100 certified chainsaw operators in the city.
John Ho Kin-chuen, president of ISA Hong Kong Chapter, an arboriculture organisation, said they were very disappointed at the government's lukewarm feedback on the issue.
"No progress has been made. The bureau's representative raised concerns that a registered system may lead to a shortage of qualified tree and landscape workers to cope with rising demand, thus causing delays in infrastructure projects," he said.
According to chief assistant secretary Jacky Wu Kwok-yuen, the bureau has commissioned a consultant to undertake a survey on manpower in the arboriculture, horticulture and landscape management industries that is expected to be completed by the end of next year.
"The government will only consider the next step after the consultancy report is released," Ho said.
In addition, the representative of the Construction Industry Council at the meeting last week expressed reluctance to shoulder responsibility for the proposed registration system, saying tree and landscape workers should not be classified as a type of construction worker.
"I don't understand the government's rationale. All the industry groups and training institutes promise to provide full support and training for the supply of qualified workers. Why would the government go against this idea and let unqualified workers provide service and create risks to the public?" Ho said.
Tony Leung Wing-han, chairman of the Greening Contractors Association, said the government needed to make the first move.
"We need to step forward. If we don't take the first step, tree and landscape workers will always be regarded as 'common labour', which is unfair to these professional workers. Besides this, they will have difficulties in acquiring insurance policies with full coverage of their job-related risks," he said.
The chairman of the Landscape and Arboriculture Professionals General Union, Lai Ka-ming, said with rooftop gardens becoming a trend, more advanced skills were required for the industry's development.
He questioned why their profession should be excluded from the ordinance's protection, saying that for every construction project, tree and landscape workers were needed to work on the construction sites.
A bureau spokesman said the government maintained an open mind on the issue. "A key objective is to formulate an action plan that may include a registration system for the tree and landscape workers," he said.
