Storm is not over for Carrie Lam as traffic complaints flood Hong Kong leader’s Facebook page
Anger directed at government for not taking lead to declare day off for workers with public transport still crippled from monster storm
The chief executive issued a statement on Sunday, calling “for employers to show understanding and flexibility in handling staff who have practical difficulties in resuming work”.
But on Monday, train stations were packed with commuters, as frustration boiled over with some saying authorities should have urged employers to grant staff a day off. Bus services were mostly suspended and rail operations partially, as the city reeled from the impact of the monster storm.
At 5pm on Monday, Lam’s Sunday Facebook post had attracted more than 15,000 “angry” responses – compared to about 1,700 “likes” – and more than 6,700 comments, many of which were from disgruntled users.
Northern district council member Yiu Ming, a member of the pro-establishment Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, earlier commented on the post: “Can MTR and bus services resume normal operations on Monday? If not, call it a day off and don’t make money the priority.”
Terence Chong Tai-leung, Chinese University associate professor of economics, said if the entire city did not work on Monday, economic loss could amount to about HK$7.3 billion (US$930 million). This was calculated by dividing Hong Kong’s gross domestic product last year by 365 days, he explained.
But Chong said the actual figure could be lower as some could work from home while others could make up for the loss in future.
“For example … if retailers did not sell any clothes on a weekday like today, they could make up for it on a busier day,” Chong said.
Asked on Monday if the government should have given people the day off work, Lam said it would be more suitable for “employers and employees to handle the issue with mutual understanding”.