GRS 900
Telok
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1366
The Confidential
OF 040615Z APRIL 87
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, MANILA
210/1
TOP COPY Q DIST?
*PGIS :
- 6 APR 1987
15
រ
INDEA
PA
Action Taken
YOUR TELNO. 977: FOREIGN DOMESTIC HELPERS
TEXT OF THE DRAFT POINTS TO MAKE TO THE PHILIPPINES GOVERNMENT
IS AS FOLLOWS :
BEGINS
2.
THE NUMBER OF FOREIGN DOMESTIC HELPERS (FDHS) HAS INCREASED
STEADILY OVER THE YEARS, FROM A FEW HUNDRED IN THE LATE SEVENTIES TO
NEARLY 30,000 AT PRESENT. THE GREAT MAJORITY OF THEM (27,000 OR 93 PERCENT) ARE FROM THE PHILIPPINES. THE NUMBER OF FDHS IS LIKELY
TO CONTINUE TO GROW IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
3. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT RECOGNISES THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE FDHS. THE FDH COMMUNITY IS GENERALLY LAW-ABIDING. NEVERTHELESS THE VERY RAPID GROWTH IN NUMBERS HAS CAUSED HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO REVIEW THE PRESENT ARRANGEMENTS. HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAVE CONSIDER- ED THE WIDER IMPLICATIONS FOR THE HONG KONG LABOUR MARKET. ALSO, THE PRESENCE OF SUCH A LARGE NUMBER OF FOREIGN WORKERS HAS GIVEN RISE TO AN INCREASING NUMBER OF LABOUR DISPUTES AND OTHER COMPLAINTS, FROM
BOTH EMPLOYERS AND FDHS.
4. FDHS ARE MOSTLY EMPLOYED ON TWO-YEAR CONTRACTS AND PROTECTED BY HONG KONG LAWS. THERE IS A REQUIREMENT TO PAY THEM A MINIMUM WAGE WHICH UNTIL NOW HAS BEEN EXPRESSED IN A RANGE (THE LATEST BEING HK DOLLARS 1,900 2,050). THE RATIONALE FOR THE MINIMUM WAGE IS TO PROTECT FDHS FROM BEING EXPLOITED AS CHEAP LABOUR AND TO ENSURE THAT THE WAGES OF FDHS DO NOT FALL TOO FAR SHORT OF THOSE RECEIVED BY THEIR LOCAL HONG KONG COUNTERPARTS. THE WAGE RANGE HAS BEEN
REVIEWED ANNUALLY.
5. THE RESULTS OF THE LATEST REVIEW WHICH WAS NOT LIMITED SIMPLY TO THE BASIC SALARY, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED :
(A) THE LIBERAL POLICY REGARDING ENTRY OF FDHS WILL CONTINUE, > AT LEAST FOR THE TIME BEING. BUT FOHS COMING TO WORK IN HONG KONG MUST CONTINUE TO SECURE AN EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT, AND ENTRY VISA AND TO BE PREPARED TO ABIDE BY THE CONDITIONS IMPOSED ON THEM. THEIR STAY IN HONG KONG WILL CONTINUE TO BE SUBJECT TO IMMIGRATION CONTROL
AS AT PRESENT:
Confidential
1(B)
T