Hong Kong staff give California Fitness owners 48 hours to outline how to settle back pay
Labour Department confirms that chain’s 500 employees have not yet been paid their June wages
About 100 workers of the cash-strapped gym chain California Fitness have given their employers a 48-hour ultimatum to spell out how they plan to settle back pay.
Their call came as the Labour Department confirmed on Sunday night that the chain’s operator, JV Fitness, owed its workers their June salaries. It called on the owners to observe labour laws.
In a meeting on Sunday night, the workers decided to send the company an open letter to call for a resolution to the wage issue. The 48-hour deadline started at 10pm on Sunday.
The chain’s trainers are mulling collective resignations, industrial action and lawsuits as possible follow-up action depending on how the chain replies.
Federation of Trade Unions lawmaker Bill Tang Ka-piu, who has been helping staff, said all 500 workers were supposed to have their June salaries paid on July 1. The amount involved is said to be more than HK$10 million.
