1 week Ago By SCMP Editorial
Easing a chronic shortage of manpower by bringing in foreign labour is fair enough providing workers are not abused and Hong Kong residents do not have to worry about their jobs. But it appears this may not be the case with the expanded labour importation scheme following reports of hundreds of restaurant workers being allegedly sacked as a result. These claims must be followed up by authorities.
Citing a worrying surge in complaints over the past six months, the Eating Establishment Employees General Union said it had received reports of more than 200 locals struggling to find work after being sacked to make way for imported staff. Restaurants reportedly replaced older workers or those on short-term contracts to reduce operational costs and staff turnover. Separately, a survey of 2,054 workers found 83 per cent knew colleagues who had been fired to allow the hiring of imported workers.
It will be extremely worrying if these claims are substantiated. Authorities expanded the labour importation scheme in 2023 during a worsening manpower crunch accelerated by emigration and economic restructuring. As of March, more than 54,200 people had been allowed into the city under the scheme.
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