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| The protest was 6 days late because HK Police did not grant permits for mass gatherings on May 1 |
Rains failed to stop
several groups of migrants from staging a three-hour protest outside the
Central Government Offices in Tamar on May 7 to press for a minimum wage of
$6,014 a month, and stop accusations of “job-hopping” by foreign domestic workers.
The protest led by the Asian Migrants Coordinating Body was meant to be an International Labour Day mass action, but was held six days late because Hong Kong police did not grant permits for May 1.
Five groups under the AMCB umbrella took turns protesting from 11am to 2pm, to call on the government to include them in the statutory minimum wage for local workers, which was recently raised to $40 an hour.
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| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE! |
While this is not yet legislated, the groups said they must be given a “living wage”, which according to an NGO’s estimate, should be at least $6,014 per month.
An added call was to stop accusations of job-hopping against FDWs who apply to move to a new employer while in Hong Kong after their contracts were prematurely terminated.
The Hong Kong Labour Deparment is in the process of consulting stakeholders on its plan to include job-hopping as a prohibited act under the Code of Practice for Employment Agencies.
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| Magkano? Pindutin ito! |
Under this plan, recruiters are obliged to warn migrant workers of the adverse consequence of job-hopping, which is, that they will be made to leave Hong Kong within 14 days if their contracts are prematurely terminated.
Agencies are also required to discuss with employers the possibility of them getting a refund of the placement fee collected from them, or provide them with a replacement worker should the current one is terminated for being unsuitable.
AMCB said in a statement that this move to brand migrant domestic workers as “job-hoppers” is discriminatory.
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“Under international and national law, all workers in Hong Kong and around the world are given the right to change jobs for whatever reasons, especially when the work does not fit the expectation or if there is misconduct and violation of rights,” said the AMCB’ s statement.
“But why are only migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong prohibited from changing employers or changing to another type of employment? This is clearly discrimination!,”
The protesters also included in their list their continuing resistance to the 14-day rule and live-in requirement for all FDWs, and their long-standing call for their work hours to be legislated so domestic workers are not at the beck and call of their employers.
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| Pindutin para sa detalye |
The picket ended with AMCB leaders handing over a petition letter signed by 9,038 people who are supporting their calls for better protection for all FDWs.
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| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE |
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| PADALA NA! |
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