The list goes on. Employers were accused of withholding benefits such as wages, rest days and medical attention or expenses; of providing inadequate food and so on... and on.
In 1981 there were 13,600 Filipina helpers employed in Hong Kong. Today the figure is closer to 60,000 and others (Thais and Sri Lankans, for example) have expanded the foreign labour force. But it would appear that the number of grievances, if they have not increased in ratio, have certainly held steady.
There are about 15 foreign worker's assistance agencies in Hong Kong. Most of these organizations are run by voluntary workers · Hong Kong employment visas, for paid foreign social, union or community workers, are not easy to come by.
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One of these agencies: The Mission for Filipino Migrant Workers, reports that during 1989, out of 422 helpers who were terminated, 50 had been illegally forced to work in commercial establishments (factories, shops, restaurants) and 71 were illegally farmed out to other households (those of relatives and friends.) They also, of course, had to work in the households of their nominated employers.
Another assistance group, The Asian Domestic Helpers Union, cited more than 30 cases of abused and maltreated helpers.
Most of the terminations in these cases, were brought about by the workers bringing their grievances to the attention of the authorities.
Clearly, the labour shortage in Hong Kong encourages this sort of activity on the part of employers who are looking for cheap labour. Building sites are relatively easy to police. But a shop or restaurant owner (illegally employing his helper) can fob off any enquiry or identity card check with: "Oh, she's my amah she's just come over to bring me some papers. Who could dispute that? Only the helper herself, if she doesn't mind being repatriated.
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Many domestic helpers obviously put up with these sorts of things even conspire to maintain the status quo - because they are not about to kill the goose that lays the golden egg except when they fear for their own safety or sanity.
Basically, all of these abuses and intimidations come about because of the strength of the employer's lobby.
The employers oppose change on the grounds that they pay a considerable amount of money in order to import this labour and they wish to be protected, by law, from financial loss resulting from early terminations.
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Appendix A