EMPLOYMENT
To remove manpower shortage in certain bottleneck areas, a separate scheme for the importation of skilled workers at the supervisory, technician, craftsman and operative level was introduced in 1989 and repeated in 1990. After a review, it was decided in January 1992 that the scheme should be expanded in such a way that the total number of such workers in Hong Kong did not exceed 25 000 at any one time. Discounting those 13 000 workers who came under the previous schemes and whose contracts were still valid, employers were allowed to import 12 000 workers in 1992. This scheme received overwhelming response from employers. Despite the quota of 12 000 workers, the Immigration Department received some 8 350 applications from employers, involving a total of 92 600 workers.
In addition, to facilitate the construction of the new airport and related projects, a scheme to import initially 2 000 construction workers was introduced in May 1990. A quota of 1 247 has so far been allocated.
Foreign Domestic Helpers
The entry of foreign domestic helpers is subject to the condition that they have experience in that field of work, that their employers are bona fide Hong Kong residents who are prepared to offer reasonable terms of employment including wages and accommodation, and that the employers are willing to provide for the helpers' maintenance in Hong Kong as well as the costs for repatriation to their country of origin. Because of the affluence of Hong Kong, the demand for foreign domestic helpers has increased steadily. In 1992, there were 101 182 such helpers in Hong Kong, representing an increase of 19.6 per cent when compared with 84 619 in 1991. About 88.1 per cent of these domestic helpers were citizens of the Philippines.
Attestation of Employment Contracts for Foreign Domestic Helpers
For the purpose of controlling and protecting the employment conditions of foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong, the Foreign Domestic Helpers Service of the Labour Department attested 80 823 employment contracts in 1992.
The service is frequently consulted by the public on application procedures for the employment of foreign domestic helpers and interpretation of the terms of employment contracts. It also provides a conciliation service in wage claims arising out of such
contracts.
Employment Agencies
The Employment Agencies Administration of the Labour Department is responsible for administering Part 12 of the Employment Ordinance and the Employment Agency Regulations, which were amended in May 1992 to facilitate more effective control on the licensing and operation of employment agencies in Hong Kong. The service issued 1000 licences in 1992.
Employment Outside Hong Kong
The External Employment Service is responsible for enforcing the Contracts for Employ- ment Outside Hong Kong Ordinance, which was amended in May 1992 to extend the requirement for such contracts to be attested by the Commissioner for Labour from manual workers to include non-manual workers with monthly wages not exceeding $20,000. The service attested 85 new contracts in 1992.
103