GRS 530
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELNO 1128
OF 200855Z MARCH 87
INFO ROUTINE MANILA
CONFIDENTIAL
210/1
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
100
8
OUR TELNO 777: FOREIGN DOMESTIC HELPERS IN HONG KONG.
FURTHER TO PARA 2 OF TUR ON 10 MARCH WE SUBMITTED A MEMORANDUM TO EXCO EXPLAINING THE EFFECT OF THE NEW MINIMUM WAGES PAYABLE (HK DOLLARS 2,300 PER MONTH). THE SECRETARY FOR ECONOMICS SERVICES WAS OF THE OPINION THAT GIVEN THAT FDHS CONSTITUTE ONLY 3.2% OF THE FEMALE WORK FORCE, AND LOCAL DOMESTIC HELPERS ARE PROBABLY AN EVEN SMALLER PERCENTAGE, AND THAT THE LINKAGES BETWEEN THE VARIOUS SUB-MARKETS ARE PROBABLY FAIRLY WEAK, EVEN THE PROPOSED 12 TO 21% INCREASES IN THE MINIMUM WAGE PAYABLE TO FDHS WERE UNLIKELY TO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE HK LABOUR MARKET
AS A WHOLE.
2. THE MEMORANDUM ALSO CONTAINED AN ANALYSIS OF FDH WAGES UNDER
CURRENT CONTRACTS. ACCORDING TO THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT, THE MAJORITY OF FDHS ARE RECEIVING DOLLARS 1,900 PER MONTH AND ONLY 13% EMPLOYED UNDER CURRENT CONTRACTS ARE PAID DOLLARS 2,050 OR MORE
PER MONTH.
3. EXCO NOTED THE MEMORANDUM WITHOUT COMMENTS.
4. FURTHER TO PARA 3 ON TUR, EXCO WILL CONSIDER ON 24 MARCH REVISED PROPOSALS ON CHANGES ON THE CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT FOR FDHS. IN BRIEF, THESE PROPOSALS AMOUNT TO:
(A) ALLOWING A FDH TO SUBMIT A NEW AND VALID CONTRACT BEFORE SHE
LEAVES FOR HER COUNTRY OF ORIGIN IF HER FORMER CONTRACT HAS RUN ITS
NATURAL COURSE:
(B) NOT ALLOWING A FDH TO SUBMIT SUCH A NEW CONTRACT BEFORE
LEAVING HK IF THE FORMER CONTRACT HAS BEEN BROKEN:
(C) FDHS HAVE TO LEAVE HK WITHIN TWO WEEKS OF THE TERMINATION OF CONTRACT. D OF IMM COULD ADJUST THE REQUIREMENT TO SUIT THE PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES OF A PARTICULAR CASE:
(D) TO PUBLICISE THE NEW ARRANGEMENT BY REVISED PAMPHLETS:
(E) ALLOWING CHANGES IN EMPLOYMENT IN THE FIRST OR SECOND YEAR OF
A FDH EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT ONLY IN EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES:
(F) TO RAISE THE LEVEL OF DISCRETION FOR APPROVING CHANGE IN
EMPLOYMENT FROM IMMIGRATION OFFICER TO CHIEF IMMIGRATION OFFICER:
CONFIDENTIAL