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| Labour Secretary Sun says local workers must get priority in the recruitmen process |
A local pest control company, Amala Limited, has been barred from importing workers for a year under the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme (ESLS) after it was found to have refused to hire a local during the mandatory four-week recruitment phase.
A statement issued by the Labour Department Monday said: "An administrative sanction has been imposed on the company, as it earlier refused to employ a qualified local job seeker during the four-week local recruitment under the ESLS without reasonable grounds, violating the requirements of local recruitment.”
Labour said that for a year starting from July 31 it would refuse to process any applications for importing workers from Amala under the ESLS. At the same time, it terminated the processing of a pending application by the company to hire a worker from overseas.
The statement said: "The ESLS stipulates that if an employer violates labour or immigration laws, the requirements of the ESLS or the Standard Employment Contract, the LD will impose an administrative sanction on the employer, including the withdrawal of approval for the importation of labour previously granted and refusal to process any subsequent applications submitted by the employer."
Hong Kong employers are required to prioritize local workers by conducting a four-week hiring process before applying to hire someone from abroad. They must provide valid reasons for rejecting Hong Kong applicants.
Last month, Labour Secretary Chris
Sun disclosed that an investigation was being carried out into two cases of
alleged employer violations of the ESLS.
Basahin ang detalye!
In the first case, local employees were dismissed after the employer hired foreign workers. In the second case, the employer was found to have acted in bad faith in conducting the mandatory two-week recruitment process.
Sun reminded employers applying to import workers under the ESLS to strictly comply with the rules, including giving priority to qualified local workers.
He said employers are not the only ones who will be affected if the ESLS regulations are violated. The imported workers may also have their permits revoked if the strict hiring process is not complied with.
An online complaint form on the ESLS dedicated webpage (www.labour.gov.hk/eng/plan/iwESLS.htm) can be used by both imported and local workers to file complaints against employers for violating the scheme requirements. They may also call the dedicated hotline 2150 6363 to lodge complaints.
