The Asian Migrants Coordinating Body (AMCB-IMA-HKM) opposed the proposed petition to “freeze” the increase in the minimum wage of migrant domestic workers amid the rising inflation rate in Hong Kong. According to the group, blocking wage increases will only worsen the condition of domestic workers and push them deeper into debt.
Representing capitalists, Quadripartite Alliance for Harmonious Employment Practices filed this petition with the country’s Labour Department. They claimed that freezing the domestic workers’ salaries is reasonable since government employees’ salaries are also on freeze. Their twisted argument is that a wage freeze is needed to be fair with government employees.
In September last year, the government announced a 2.5% increase in the minimum salary of domestic workers, from HK$4,870 to HK$4,990. Their food allowance, however, remained at HK$1,236 per month, or about HK$40 per day, with no increase.
AMCB ridiculed this very meager increase. The group demanded an additional HK$120 in wages that could provide domestic workers at least some small relief from suffering and exploitative wage levels.
The Hong Kong government currently faces a HK$87.2 billion budget deficit for 2024-2025. This marks the third consecutive year that the country has recorded a high budget deficit. The unemployment rate also rose to 3.5% while economic growth only reached 2-3%.
According to AMCB, the government uses domestic workers as scapegoats for the inflation experienced by the country’s capitalists. They said the government must address unemployment, control inflation, and curb increases in expenses such as housing rent, transportation, and others.
“Freezing the wages of migrant domestic workers (MDW) will not solve the hardships faced by the people of Hong Kong. What should be called for is a living wage for all workers and not exploitation of MDWs in exchange for so-called ‘comfort for employers’,” the group added.
“This proposal disregards the crucial role of domestic workers in Hong Kong society. We support families, manage households, and contribute to the local economy while facing long working hours and limited privacy,” the Filipino Migrant Workers’ Union-Hong Kong explained.
“We continue to stand in solidarity with the people of Hong Kong for a living wage for all, and demand for inclusion of MDWs in statutory minimum wage. We are workers, not slaves,” AMCB declared.
Hong Kong domestic workers are excluded from the minimum wage law for workers in the country, which sets wages at HK$42.1 per hour, and they are required to reside in their employers’ homes.
