Will increasing Hong Kong’s minimum wage help struggling part-time workers?
While workers call for higher wages, some say more is needed to protect employees from exploitation
Danny Luk did not enjoy his brief stint in Hong Kong’s “infantry”... and he quit after 10 days.
He was not in the armed forces, but his days were long andll arduous. He lugged around at least 10kg of parcels to deliver, working from 9am to 6.30pm without a lunch break or paid leave as a foot soldier in the city’s courier services sector.
“I had no labour insurance, no medical insurance, no formal contract … and I think they paid too little compared to what I had to do,” Luk said.
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While Luk was able to find greener pastures, nearly half of the 2,000 employees in the courier industry work in those conditions – making it the worst among the 15 lowest-paying sectors in terms of break time and paid leave, according to the Minimum Wage Commission.
As Hong Kong celebrates Labour Day, the government-appointed commission is halfway through its six-week public consultation to review the city’s HK$34.50 (US$4.40) per hour minimum wage.
Luk said the rate should be raised “at least above HK$40”, considering living costs and labourers’ lack of bargaining power for better conditions.
