Hong Kong’s pitch to OFWs: Fairness, good pay, clear protection from HK govt
MANILA, Philippines — With its eyes set on economic recovery, Hong Kong is optimistic to welcome returning and new overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), including Filipino domestic helpers (FDHs), this 2023 and the years to come.
During his visit to the Philippines from January 8 to 10, Hong Kong Secretary for Labor and Welfare Chris Sun met with several Philippine officials to discuss the Hong Kong government’s plans on inviting more foreign domestic helpers.
The Hong Kong government is keen on getting the number of FDHs back to its pre-pandemic mark of around 400,000. Currently, there are about 330,000, of which 190,000 are Filipinos, accounting for 57% of the total FDH population.
Making a clear and strong pitch to the Philippines, the secretary reaffirmed Hong Kong’s appreciation of Filipino domestic helpers and outlined current and new initiatives they are implementing to ensure that FDHs’ rights and welfare are well protected and guaranteed.
“Fairness, good pay and clear protection from us are the three factors that will make sure that Hong Kong always remains a priority city for Migrant Workers in the Philippines to go to,” Sun told Philstar.com in an exclusive interview.
Equal treatment for foreign workers
According to the secretary, FDHs in Hong Kong are ensured equal treatment in the eyes of its labor laws.
Hong Kong’s Employment Ordinance covers foreign domestic helpers working in Hong Kong and ensures that they are as entitled to basic employment rights, statutory holidays and wage protection, among others, as local workers do.
Sun mentioned that since foreign workers are treated on par with local workers, OFWs will also benefit from the laws that have been recently passed by the Hong Kong government, such as the extension of its maternity leave for workers by four weeks, and the progressive increase of Hong Kong’s statutory holidays.
Pay hike, monthly food allowance
Apart from equal treatment, Hong Kong also ensures that the hard work of Filipino domestic helpers are compensated fairly through a standard employment contract and a set minimum allowable wage (MAW) for FDHs.
“The standard employment contract is a very important tool to ensure that migrant workers are protected,” Sun said. “We also have the MAW that indicates Filipino domestic helpers would get no less than this certain amount back home every month. Of course, a lot of employees pay more than that, but this provides floor protection.”
On October 2022, the Hong Kong government raised the MAW by 2.2%, from HKD4,630 to HKD4,730. For Filipino DHs, this means they get to earn at least around P35,475 per month, making Hong Kong a more attractive destination for Filipino household service workers.
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“The increase comes after a two-year wage freeze in Hong Kong due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At this time of rising prices due to a stronger US dollar, this new minimum wage hike is a boon to our kasambahays in Hong Kong,” said Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople last year.
Additionally, Hong Kong also recently increased the minimum monthly food allowance for FDHs from HKD1,173 to HKD1,196, or equivalent to around P8,900.
Under the Standard Employment Contract, employers are required to provide FDHs with food free of charge. However, employers may choose to pay a food allowance in lieu.
Access to protection, assistance
Sun also cited the importance of having a standard employment contract that every OFW has to sign with their employers.
This written employment contract reminds both employers and employees of their obligations, helps avoid possible disputes and sets out the rights and benefits of both parties.
According to him, the standard employment contract provides “clear assurances” to all OFWs in Hong Kong, guaranteeing them another layer of protection from the Labour Department.
Sun assured that the Labour Department will be present to help OFWs in case disputes arise, be it through mediation, bringing their cases for higher arbitration, or to a tribunal, if deemed necessary.
“We have a very efficient conciliation system. In case we can’t resolve it by conciliation, we can bring it up in the tribunal and make sure that the legitimate rights and privileges of FDHs are being taken care of in a fair and efficient way,” he said.
In addition, a dedicated foreign domestic helper division has been set up in the department to provide focused help to stakeholders, and also to enhance its communication both with the consulate general and with the OFW community.
Currently, the department continuously disseminates information about FDH’s rights and welfare.
An example of this is its dedicated portal available in different languages, including Tagalog, that provides information about policies on FDH importation, rights and obligations of FDHs and their employers under labor laws. A 24-hour hotline was also set up for FDHs to access if they have concerns and require support.
During his visit, Sun and his delegation also visited a training facility under the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), to take a closer look at the training of care workers in the Philippines and its scope of competencies, quality assurance and recruitment arrangements, and see where the training facilities can be of help in the training of Filipino DHs.
Eyes on global talents
The Hong Kong government is also keen on attracting more professionals from all over the world and has launched the new Top Talent Pass Scheme to regain the number of foreign professionals lost due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new scheme is aimed at inviting experienced high-earners (HKD2.5 million and above) or graduates of the world’s top 100 universities to Hong Kong by offering two-year visas to freely explore opportunities available in the city.
“If their application is successful, they get a two-year pass into Hong Kong, not employment-tied and no strings attached. Once the pass is issued, they can stay in Hong Kong for two years, decide whether to find a job, start a business and stay on,” Sun said.
The permit can also be extended for another three or six years, and could even lead to permanent resident status.
According to Sun, Filipinos are welcome to apply online for this new scheme, which guarantees to inform applicants of their results within four weeks, and it can be as fast as four hours.
The scheme has already received a total of 2,600 applications since its start on December 28, 2022 and has already approved 1,400 applications in seven days.
OFWs not taken for granted
During his time here, Sun also met with officials of the DMW, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and Department of Labor and Employment to exchange views and discuss better employment opportunities and strengthening the protection of Filipino migrant workers.
Sun shared that this visit established “ever-closer” ties with the Philippines, and both places can work together through this communication to provide evermore protection and welfare for OFWs.
“For us, we treat every OFW in Hong Kong as part of our society,” he said, citing the important role migrant workers, especially Filipino DHs, play in the city’s economic growth. “While sometimes their service might get unnoticed, we never take this service for granted. So for us, we are very, very grateful for the support, and all the chores they’ve done for families in Hong Kong.”
Sun said he will consider what more the government can do for the Filipino domestic helpers because of their huge sacrifice of leaving their families and children, and going to Hong Kong to take care of its families.
“We should disseminate the information and we will be very happy to allocate resources so that these workers feel the love and affection of Hong Kong for what they’ve done for us,” Sun concluded.
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