Citybus union slams importation of mainland Chinese drivers into Hong Kong
- Union raises concerns over safety, noting mainlanders drive on opposite side of road and under different set of traffic rules
- But company stresses new workers will only operate non-franchised bus services, such as employee shuttles and city tours
A union for Citybus workers has decried the company’s importation of 20 drivers from mainland China into Hong Kong, raising concerns about road safety and their driving standards.
Citybus Limited Employees Union chairman Lam Nai-wa said on Thursday the organisation was outraged by the company’s decision to bring in mainland bus drivers for non-franchised operations. The first batch of five are due to arrive next month to take the local driving test.
“We are very angry about this arrangement,” Lam said. “The company has decided to import the mainland drivers without consulting us. This is entirely disrespectful to the union and its staff.”
Lam raised safety concerns, noting mainlanders drove on the opposite side of the road and used a different set of traffic rules.
“I am concerned about whether they can adapt to a different environment and drive safely in Hong Kong, which has a different set of rules from that of the mainland,” he said. “Mainland bus drivers have no experience of driving double-deckers. Who can ensure that they will be fit for the job?”
Lam questioned whether Citybus could provide sufficient training for the imported drivers and ensure road safety, urging the company to instead put the resources into hiring local drivers
“The imported drivers only have about 20 days to undergo training and a driving test,” he said. “If things go wrong, who will be responsible for the passengers’ safety?”
A company spokesman said the importation of drivers came amid a manpower shortage in the city’s transport sector. He also noted that under a government scheme allowing Citybus to import 20 drivers, the new hires would only operate non-franchised bus services, such as employee shuttles and city tours.
“The mainland bus captains will only operate designated routes under our non-franchised business in accordance with the stipulated regulations, and they will not be assigned to operate any of our around 300 franchised bus routes,” he said.
“This arrangement allows us to redeploy local manpower to our franchise bus services, ensuring the continued provision of stable, efficient and high-quality bus services to our customers.”
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The spokesman emphasised that they offered a competitive salary and benefits package of up to HK$30,000 (US$3,830) per month exclusively to local drivers, compared with about HK$19,000 a month for imported ones.
“It is important to note that the aforementioned benefits are exclusively tailored to the local labour market and are only applicable to new local hires,” he said.
Lai Siu-chung of the Motor Transport Workers General Union also opposed the move, saying it would adversely affect the livelihood of local bus drivers.
In a statement issued on Thursday evening, the Transport Department said that to protect the welfare of Hong Kong workers, relevant employers should prove they failed to hire a local employee after two weeks of advertising for the role.
It noted the companies were not allowed to lay off any staff in order to import mainland drivers.
The department said all imported drivers must pass the local driving tests and undergo route training before they were allowed to provide service.
“In other words, all those who take part in the road tests must attain the same standards as those for other people to ensure road safety,” it said.
Separately, the Staffs and Workers Union of Hong Kong Civil Airlines on Thursday released the results of a survey conducted earlier this month that showed 67 per cent of about 300 respondents said they were pessimistic about their job prospects.
The complaints mainly centred on imported labour in the industry, which they said undermined the recruitment of local workers.
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The poll also found that more than seven out of 10 respondents said they had less overtime work, which lowered their income.
The union called for better salaries and benefits for employees and for companies to prioritise the recruitment of local workers.
The city is grappling with a shortage of workers across industries and has moved to import mainlanders to work in healthcare, cleaning and construction, among others.
Additional reporting by Fiona Sun
