No overtime for Hong Kong’s workers

After two decades of trying to standardise working hours, Hong Kong has given up. The Government has decided not to force bosses to pay overtime wages to lowincome workers.

Instead of legislating, the Government will issue guidelines covering 11 labour-intensive industries.

Hongkongers already work long hours without compensation for overtime: a 2015 survey by UBS bank found the city’s residents worked more than 50 hours a week on average, the highest among 71 jurisdictions it studied.

Outraged union figures branded t he Government’s solution a “betrayal” and a “toothless tiger”.

In June last year, only about two weeks before Leung Chun- ying stepped down as city leader, his Cabinet passed a proposal to pay workers overtime wages at rates no less than their regular salaries if they were making HK$11,000 ($2020) or less a month.

Unions have long demanded working hours be standardised at 40 to 44 hours a week, regardless of how much employees are paid.

They want workers to receive an amount 1.5 times their regular rate for every extra hour on the job.

Instead, the guidelines, covering workers such as cleaners, carers for the elderly, and caterers, will suggest how much workers in specific industries should be paid for overtime. They will be set by working groups comprising officials and representatives from the business and labour sectors.

Three years after the guidelines are issued, officials will conduct a review on their effectiveness.

Unionist Tang Ka-piu had been against the previous Government’s working hours proposal because it only covered low-income workers and would “rationalise” the lack of protec- tion for other professionals such as teachers and accountants, who work long hours.

Hong Kong Women Workers’ Association director Wu Mei-lin described the guidelines as “a toothless tiger”.

“It is equal to doing nothing,” Wu said, accusing the Government of moving backwards in protecting labour rights, and insisting working hours should be standardised for all.

Yu Mei-wan, vice-chairwoman of the Buildings Management and Security Workers General Union, said the guidelines would not help improve labour rights.