Employers’ group calls for cut, not hike, in FDW wages

By Vir B. Lumicao 

The employers' group says FDH wages should be cut by 10%

An employers’ group which has long been at odds with foreign domestic helpers’ support organizations, has called for a 10% cut, instead of an increase, in the minimum allowable wage (MAW) for the workers.

Betty Yung, chair of the Hong Kong Employers of Overseas Domestic Helpers Association, wants the government to cut FDH wages by 10%, citing the huge cost of bringing in workers now, which she estimated to be around $40,000.

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Yung’s statement was in reaction to a call made yesterday by the Asian Migrants Coordinating Body, for the government to mandate a “living wage” of $6,014 a month for FDHs, and raise the food allowance to $2,600.

AMCB spokesperson Dolores Balladares-Pelaez immediately rejected Yung’s call, saying the minimum pay of migrant workers should be raised, not reduced, because they now work longer hours and spend more because of the pandemic, and also because of higher prices.

“Dapat pa ngang itaas dahil sobrang haba ng oras ng trabaho, dagdag gastos din sa mga taas ng presyo ng bilihin, at mga needs sa pandemic,” she added. (They should raise our pay because of our excessively long hours of work, added expenses due to higher prices of goods, and the protective stuff that we need for the pandemic.)

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Pelaez said employers who balk at spending a lot more money hiring FDWs should address their complaint to the Hong Kong government as it is the one that is requiring them to pay for Covid-19 tests and the 21-day hotel quarantine for the workers they recruit from overseas.

Pelaez hands over wage hike petition to a Labour Dept representative

Thomas Chan, head of an employment agencies union, dismissed Yung’s call, saying it is not likely to get the government’s nod.

“Reduce? I don't think the government will say yes to her. That’s only a negotiation tactic,” Chan said.

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But Chan, who heads the Hong Kong Union of Employment Agencies, also thinks the government would similarly ignore AMCB’s call to jack up the current minimum wage by 30%.

“I don't think the government will approve the request to increase the monthly FDH salary to $6,014,” said Chan.

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He said agencies are not in a position to comment on the wage issue, but expect the new salary to reflect market forces, a balance between demand and supply, and other relevant factors.

Chan said some employers are already offering salaries similar to this level but others stick to the government-mandated minimum wage. 

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The government is expected to announce the new MAW by next week. The current minimum salary mandated by the government is $4,630 a month.

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