From The Minister of State
The Hon Francis Maude MP
A
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
HKD
14 February 1990
D Dover Esq MP House of Commons London SW1A OAA
HKB 381
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RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
2 0 MAR 1990
Dear Mr Dover,
DESK OFFICER
REGIST
INDEX
PA
Thank you for your letter of 27 January 1990, enclosing one from your constituent, Mr G P Bayley of 24C Three Nooks, Clayton Brook, Preston, Lancs PR5 8EC, about allegations of physical cruelty to Filipinos employed in Hong Kong.
I think that if I set out the background to the position on employment of Filipinos in Hong Kong, this may help
I should say at Mr Bayley to understand the situation. the outset, however, that I do not accept that there are people in Hong Kong who are not receiving the full protection of the law and the law enforcement authorities.
Hong Kong admits foreign domestic helpers from a number of countries, although the great majority are from the Philippines. In applying to work in Hong Kong, an applicant has to submit his or her record of past experience as a domestic helper. It is not Hong Kong Government's (HKG) policy or practice to admit highly educated or professionally trained people to take up domestic work in Hong Kong.
In order to protect the interests of both employers and the domestic helpers, HKG require both parties to enter into a standard contract which guarantees, inter alia, minimum wages, provision of decent accommodation, statutory holidays, leave and passage allowances, medical insurance and compensation for injuries and termination of contracts by either party.
Protection is also offered by the Employment Ordinance, the Conciliation Service of the Labour Department and the Labour Tribunal. During the past two years, some 1,400 cases of claims arising from labour disputes were dealt with by the Labour Department.