TNAG-0897-FCO40-1107-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 109

1

3

Enclosure III (Cont'd)

Factory Skilled

33

Factory Unskilled

643

Factory Labourer

154

Domestic

8

Office Clerical

14

Office Boy/Cleaning

6

Miscellaneous

179

1037

Argyle Street Camp No. 4 (1,298

12.

persons)

162 people are now in employment with the majority working in the electronics factories. Some work in the packaging, plastic and radio assembling factories and some as salesmen. About 80% in employment are women.

General Remarks

13. (a)

(b)

Female workers from 18 to 40 are in greater demand than male workers, and their average daily wage is slightly highly;

Able-bodied male workers in the construction and heavy enginnering industries can make up to $60 per day;

More and more refugees will have to take up employment because :-

(c)

(i)

(ii)

(d)

(e)

a conscious decision has been made to encourage them to be self-reliant; and

a phased reduction in the food rations for refugees in Government open camps is being introduced.

At present, an Employment Co-ordinator is providing employment service to those in UNHCR camps;

It appears that all those who would like to seek employment can get a job, but those ethnic Vietnamese who cannot speak Cantonese encounter serious problems in securing employment; and

Some of those employers who are now providing transport to take the refugees to and from place of work are prepared to provide quarters for them.