Hong Kong trade union group calls for 6 per cent pay rise amid increase in projected economic growth
The Confederation of Trade Unions says previous recommendations were modest and unfavourable to workers
The second-largest workers’ union in Hong Kong on Sunday called for a salary increase of at least 6 per cent across all industries, in line with the government’s economic growth forecast being raised to 3.7 per cent.
The Confederation of Trade Unions said its proposed pay rise for 2018 was based on the revised official growth expectation, which was higher than the initial 2.5 per cent. This was also beyond the 2.2 per cent projected growth of the Consumer Price Index, a gauge for living costs.
Carol Ng Man-yee, chairwoman of the confederation, which comprises 95 trade unions covering about 190,000 employees, said the salary increase of 3.5 per cent suggested by the Institute of Human Resource Management in November was too low.
“They didn’t take into account inflation rates, and instead offered a number that would please most employers,” Ng said.
The confederation also found that local enterprises had been enjoying modest to remarkable revenue growth as markets picked up.
