Deep Dive: Hong Kong workers say they are losing jobs under labour import scheme

Hongkonger Har Cheng* was forced to quit the food stall she had worked at for almost two decades. She later found out she had been replaced by imported labourers from mainland China.

Feeling angry and mistreated, Cheng, 67, said her loyalty over the years had all been “for nothing”.

“I thought I had a few more years to work before retirement, and the stall had at least 28 workers,” she said. How could I expect I would be the first to be targeted?”

Over the past six months, Cheng and 200 other restaurant workers have reported being sacked and replaced by labourers who came to the city via an import scheme, according to the Eating Establishment Employees General Union.

Unionists and human rights advocacy group the Society for Community Organisation raised concerns about the impact of the scheme ahead of Labour Day on May 1. They said they had received reports from local workers who were replaced by imported labourers.

To combat the city’s manpower shortage, the government in 2023 allowed employers to bring in unlimited unskilled or low-skilled workers from the mainland for 26 new job types, including waiters and hospitality staff in catering.

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So far, 54,278 workers have been allowed to come to the city. The catering sector accounted for most of these jobs, with around 8,900 waiters, 11,400 chefs and 2,700 dishwashers working in restaurant chains, street food stalls and other diners.

Cheng said the employer had cut her working hours from eight to four hours a day after a few imported labourers arrived in February. Normally, she would earn up to HK$16,000 (US$2,062) a month. She could barely afford her rent with the reduced working hours.

She took it up with her employer and was told to resign if she did not accept the new arrangement. Cheng said she was forced to quit in March.

According to the union’s labour rights committee, the fired workers were mostly older and had flexible contracts.

It said that while imported labourers were required to sign contracts and received monthly salaries, local workers were forced to take hourly or daily wages to cater to the restaurant’s operational needs.

*Name changed at interviewee’s request.

Staff writers

1. Which of the following is true, according to News?

(1) Har Cheng quit her job when she was denied retirement benefits.
(2) More than 200 restaurant workers have been sacked because of the import scheme.
(3) Imported workers don’t require contracts.
(4) Around 54,000 mainland workers have come to the city since 2023.

A. (1), (2) only
B. (2), (3) only
C. (2), (4) only
D. (3), (4) only

2. According to News, which groups are particularly vulnerable to the city’s import scheme?

3. How does the labour import scheme affect the working conditions and job security of local restaurant workers like Cheng? Explain using News and Glossary.

1. How does the photo relate to the news about the labour import scheme? Explain using News and Glossary.

2. Using News, list TWO concerns local workers have about imported labour.

• Some argue the measure is being used to replace workers rather than supplement them

• Union head secretary said the government should establish a way to pause the scheme if necessary

A catering sector union has urged the Hong Kong government to regularly review a scheme to import workers to ease staff shortages and pause it if needed.

The Eating Establishment Employees General Union said it had received a surge of complaints over the past six months from sacked restaurant workers. Some complained that they were let go with immediate effect and replaced by imported workers.

In a union survey of 2,054 local workers, more than 1,500 respondents said their employers had brought in foreign labour. Some 83 per cent said they knew someone who had been fired after hiring imported workers.

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said in 2023 that authorities would ensure local jobseekers were given priority in employment.

Hence, the scheme requires employers to carry out a four-week recruitment drive in the city before applications for importing workers are reviewed by the Labour Department.

To avoid employers cutting costs by hiring cheap labourers, bosses must also pay imported workers no less than the median monthly wage of the relevant job.

“The original intention of the scheme was to supplement workers, but unfortunately, it has turned out to be a replacement of local workers,” union head secretary Wong Pit-man said.

The two-year scheme is set to undergo a review in September. Wong called on the government to carry out regular reviews and set up a mechanism to halt the scheme if necessary.

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Union honorary chairman Kwok Wang-hing said that although there was a need to bring in younger workers to fill vacancies, the main issue was the rapid importation of new labourers in the industry.

“It raises a big question as to whether [the government] should fill manpower step by step, instead of injecting new labourers within a short period,” Kwok said.

The Labour Department recently reiterated that employers should not replace local workers with imported labour or they would be subject to “administrative sanction”, including refusal of their future applications or revocation of the granted quota for imported workers, if they violate the relevant rules.

Anthony Yau Yiu-shing, vice-chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions, said there was no existing legislation to regulate employers who sacked local workers after they hired imported labourers, as this action did not fall under “unreasonable or unlawful dismissal” under the Employment Ordinance.

Workers had found it difficult to prove their dismissal was the direct result of the new hires, as employers could always make an excuse and say they were not satisfied with their performance, Yau added.

Staff writers

1. What has Hong Kong’s Labour Department said about the import scheme?

(1) Companies must pay imported workers the median wage for the job.
(2) Businesses should hire young employees.
(3) Local workers should not be replaced by imported labour.
(4) Local employees should be let go first.

A. (2), (4) only
B. (1), (3) only
C. (1), (4) only
D. (2), (3) only

2. List TWO issues local workers might face when trying to argue they were replaced by imported labour.

3. To what extent do you agree that Hong Kong should import workers from mainland China? Explain using News, Issue and Glossary.

1. According to Issue, list ONE reason why Hong Kong restaurant workers are particularly vulnerable under the city’s import scheme.

2. What can be done to safeguard local employees working in the catering sector? Explain using Issue and your own knowledge.

import scheme: refers to the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme launched in September 2023. It was designed to address the manpower shortage across different sectors, including ones considered unskilled or low-skilled, and allows businesses to recruit workers from outside Hong Kong, mainly mainland China.

Society for Community Organisation: a non-governmental human rights advocacy group founded in Hong Kong in 1971

operational needs: the necessary resources and services a business needs to run. These include employees, equipment, materials, and other supplies.

immediate effect: when a worker is fired or their contract ends right away, without any notice period or warning

1. C

2. Local workers who are older and have flexible contracts.

3. The scheme has reportedly led to local workers like Cheng being replaced or having their hours cut significantly. Despite years of loyalty, Cheng’s working hours were halved, drastically reducing her income and forcing her to quit when she objected. Many affected workers were older and on flexible contracts, making them more vulnerable to being replaced. In contrast, imported labourers are given more stable monthly salaries and written contracts, highlighting an imbalance in job security and treatment between local and imported workers.

1. The photo shows an older restaurant employee likely susceptible to the city’s labour import scheme discussed in the news.

2. Although the scheme’s original goal was to combat the city’s manpower shortage and supplement existing local workers, many fear they will instead be replaced. Even if they keep their jobs, some workers fear their hours could be reduced, meaning their pay will be cut as well (accept all reasonable answers).

1. B

2. According to Anthony Yau Yiu-shing, vice-chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions, there is no legislation to regulate employers who sack local workers after hiring imported labourers, as it does not count as “unreasonable or unlawful dismissal” under the Employment Ordinance. It can also be difficult to prove their dismissal was the direct result of the new hires, as employers could claim they were unsatisfied with their performance.

3. I partially agree that Hong Kong should import workers from mainland China, but only to a limited extent and only if local workers are protected from being laid off under the scheme. If there is a genuine labour shortage that cannot be filled locally, bringing in workers can help businesses continue operating and support economic stability. However, local workers should not be replaced by imported labourers. According to News and Issue, many older workers like Har Cheng have been dismissed or pressured to quit despite years of loyalty just to cut costs. This is unfair and harms the livelihoods of people who have contributed to the industry for decades. Instead, the government should ensure that local workers are prioritised for job opportunities, and imported labour should only be used to fill genuine gaps. Regular reviews and stronger labour protections are necessary to prevent exploitation and preserve employment for Hong Kong residents (accept all reasonable answers).

1. Many restaurant workers tend to be older or on flexible contracts, making it easier to dismiss them for younger employees or those on fixed contracts who might be cheaper.

2. According to Issue, the government should conduct regular reviews of the import scheme and create a mechanism to pause it if it affects local employment. Additionally, employers should be required to prioritise keeping local staff and only use imported labour when genuinely necessary. From a broader perspective, better enforcement of fair hiring practices and offering more secure contracts and training opportunities to local workers could also help protect them from being displaced.