Long working hours: 1 in 5 Hong Kong employees are on the job an average of 55 hours per week, new trade union study shows
- Security guards suffer the most, with a quarter of them working over 72 hours a week
- The Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions has urged the government to introduce standard working hours to protect workers
A study released on Sunday has drawn attention to Hong Kong’s culture of long working hours, with one in five employees in the city working an average of 11 hours a day, and security guards suffering the most.
The Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions analysed the latest labour data released by the Census and Statistics Department and found that 20 per cent of the city’s 3 million employees worked an average of 55 hours per week last year.
That translates to an average of 11 hours a day, assuming a five-day working week.
“Hong Kong employees have been working super long hours for years,” said Mung Siu-tat, chief executive of the confederation. “This is because the government has never taken any concrete measures to ease this problem, which has been harming workers’ family well-being, health and even lives.”
The study found that those working in the security, food and drink, land transport, construction and retail industries endured the longest working hours.
Security guards were the worst hit, with almost half working over 56 hours a week, while a quarter worked over 72 hours.