Exclusive | Siu Sai Wan on Hong Kong Island labelled worst paying area for domestic helpers amid campaign for wage increase
But workers tend to earn more in general on Hong Kong Island and outlying islands
Employers living in Siu Sai Wan on Hong Kong Island’s northeast side pay the lowest salaries in the city to domestic helpers, a survey has found.
The average rate in the area was HK$4,315, just HK$5 above the minimum salary, it was revealed.
At the other end of the spectrum, employers in Sheung Wan, also on Hong Kong Island, seemed to be the most generous. Helpers working there received an average of HK$5,195, which was HK$885 more than the minimum.
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HelperChoice, an online platform connecting helpers and employers at no cost to the workers, analysed more than 3,000 job adverts posted between January and August, 59 per cent of which were by locals and 41 per cent by expats. The study came as the government was expected to announce a review of domestic workers’ minimum wage by the end of this month.
We are just asking for a living wage ... just enough to have a decent life in Hong Kong
“We are just asking for a living wage. It’s not a wage that will make the worker rich or the employer poor. Just enough to have a decent life in Hong Kong,” said Eman Villanueva, spokesman for the Asian Migrants Coordinating Body, an advocacy group.