Protecting Labour Rights

34.       We strive to ensure that all strata of the community will benefit from economic growth. We will continue to assist workers by resolving the problems faced by them in employment, having regard to changes in the labour market. As to whether a statutory minimum wage and standard working hours should be introduced in Hong Kong, views within the Labour Advisory Board (LAB) and different sectors of the community remain diverse. Taking into account the views of stakeholders, and having carefully considered our socio-economic situation, the Government considers that the pragmatic approach at this stage is to provide wage protection through non-legislative means. Together with the business community and the labour sector, the Government will launch a Wage Protection Movement for employees in the cleansing and guarding services sectors. We will actively encourage corporations and contractors to join this Movement to ensure that employees in these two sectors will receive wages not lower than the average market rates of the relevant industries and occupations as published in the Quarterly Report of Wage and Payroll Statistics of the Census and Statistics Department. These employees will enjoy the same protection as their counterparts employed under Government outsourced service contracts. The Labour Department (LD) will promote wage protection through a package of measures including promotion, publicity, public education, contractual regulation and enforcement. Through the use of written employment contracts, the LD will be able to conciliate labour disputes and take enforcement action more effectively, thereby protecting the employees. In the spirit of corporate social responsibility, I call on the trade and industry sectors to actively participate and fully support this worthy social cause. We will monitor the effectiveness of the Wage Protection Movement through the LAB and conduct a comprehensive review two years after implementation. If the review finds that the Movement has failed to yield satisfactory results, we will set out to prepare for the introduction of legislation for a minimum wage in the cleansing and guarding services sectors. I believe that the next Administration will follow up on this matter.