Filipino household workers in Hong Kong to get increased salaries, food allowances

Household workers in Hong Kong, rejoice!

The minimum allowable wage for foreign domestic helpers in China’s special administrative zone has been increased by HK$90 or 2.3 percent, the Philippines labor department said.

As a result, household workers receiving HK $3,290 will see their salary go up to HK $4,010 per month, the statement said, citing a report from Labor Attache to Hong Kong Manuel C. Roldan.

The food allowance for domestic workers in Hong Kong have also been increased 5.1 percent to HK$ 920 from HK$ 875, Acting Labor Secretary Danilo P. Cruz said.

“The $90 increase in minimum allowable wage and the increase in food allowance is…very good news for household service workers who intend to work in Hong Kong,” Cruz said.

Minimum allowable wage and the food allowance are minimum standards set by the Hong Kong government to protect foreign domestic helpers from exploitation.

Under the standard employment contract for hiring foreign domestic helpers, employers are required to provide food free of charge. Currently, the vast majority of HK employers provide free food to foreign domestic workers. Employers, however, may choose to pay a food allowance in lieu.

“The Hong Kong government reviews the minimum allowable wage for foreign domestic helpers. After careful consideration of the general economic and employment situation in Hong Kong, as reflected through a basket of economic indicators, including relevant economic movement; price change; and labor market situation, as well as the affordability of employers, Hong Kong saw there was a need to strike a balance between affordability of employers and the livelihoods of foreign domestic helpers, and decided to increase the minimum allowable wage for foreign domestic workers,” Labor Attache Roldan said in the same statement.

The increase in the minimum allowable wage and food allowance will apply to contracts signed effective 01 October 2013, and thereafter.

However, new contracts signed by employers and foreign domestic helpers until 30 September 2013 bearing the previous minimum allowable wages of HK$ 3,920 per month, and food allowance of HK$ 875 may still be accepted and processed by the Immigration Department of Hong Kong, provided that the application will be submitted to the said office on 28 October 2013, Roldan added.

He added that new MAW will not affect the previous contracts of employment of household service workers already employed in Hong Kong, and that employment contracts of HSW under the previous MAW will continue to prevail.

He also said that the MAW and the food allowance do not limit the employers in Hong Kong to provide household workers much better terms and condition of work. –InterAksyon.com