Language issues for incoming Cambodian domestic helpers spark concern in Hong Kong
Employment agencies and unions fear workers will end up being sent home, as was the case with counterparts from Myanmar in 2014
Cambodian domestic helpers may face language problems in Hong Kong and be sent home early like the Myanmar workers before them, employment agencies and unions fear.
They raised these concerns after the government announced on Monday about 1,000 domestic helpers from Cambodia would arrive this autumn as part of the city’s latest efforts to meet its increasing demand for workers.
The newcomers will receive three months of basic language, cooking and health care training in Cambodia before arriving in Hong Kong.
Speaking on an RTHK radio programme on Tuesday morning, Employers of Domestic Helper Association chairwoman Betty Yung Ma Shan-yee welcomed the new batch of helpers as they could ease the labour shortage but questioned whether a foreigner could successfully learn a language in just three months.
“Many helpers claim they know Cantonese and English, but they actually do not. It is a serious problem if the employer cannot communicate with the helper. I wonder how three months of training can help,” Yung said.