Hong Kong failing frontline Covid workers by freezing minimum wage

I refer to your report on the Hong Kong government deciding last month to freeze the hourly minimum wage (“Hong Kong’s minimum wage to remain unchanged at HK$37.50 an hour”, February 2). The government said it was justified in freezing the statutory wage, as the struggling economy continues to be battered by the coronavirus pandemic. While the government is implementing more economic measures or loan schemes to improve livelihoods, freezing the pay once again of some of the lowest-paid Hongkongers is unreasonable.

Worse still, many of these workers, including cleaners, have been on the front lines in the city’s fight against Covid-19. Their contributions cannot be forgotten by society.

In times of distress, we should not be sacrificing our poorest and most vulnerable. Such an attitude becomes especially egregious when we consider the many rounds of economic assistance disbursed to businesses, and reports of how some of them absorbed a portion of wage subsidies without sharing them with workers.

It is not hard to see that the lowest-paid need are in need of the most help as the economy falters. The government should put more effort into reducing the gap between the rich and poor. Freezing the minimum wage at the same level for four years is not the way to go about this.

Yiu Tsoi Ying, Tsuen Wan

Rather than handouts, review the minimum wage

I am writing in response to your report on the 2021-22 Hong Kong budget, “Road Map To City Recovery” (February 25). In light of the deteriorating problem of uneven income distribution in Hong Kong, the Gini coefficient has risen steadily in recent years. Given that the unemployment rate in 2020 increased to 6.6 per cent, the income gap can only widen under the continued impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Facing income cuts or outright job loss, and price inflation for daily necessities, Hong Kong residents are having to bear a massive financial burden.

Although Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po announced HK$10,000 in cash handouts last year and e-coupons worth HK$5,000 in this year’s budget, this cannot eradicate the long-standing issues related to poverty. Such subsidies are not very useful for sustaining the poor for a long period of time. Increasing the minimum wage may be a better way to improve their living standards.

If the minimum wage can catch up with inflation, this would ensure that the purchasing power and quality of life of the lowest-paid workers are not affected. This would ease the financial pressure on them and allow them a modicum of livelihood security in the current circumstances.

If the government refuses to raise the starvation wage, it goes without saying that the city’s most vulnerable workers will still be unable to make ends meet despite their hard work. If they are forced to apply for Comprehensive Social Security Assistance, that is ultimately a financial burden on society. Hence the next review of the statutory minimum wage must be brought forward once the economy shows signs of recovering, as some unions have urged.

Natalie Wang, Kwai Chung