TNAG-1665-FCO40-2314-Hong-Kong-employment-issues-and-ordinances-foreign-domestic-1987 — Page 144

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DOMESTIC HELPERS, COVERING CONDITIONS OF STAY, WAGE LEVELS AND NEW

ARRANGEMENTS FOR CHANGES OF EMPLOYMENT AND RENEWAL OF CONTRACT.

IN REVISING THESE CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT, THE HONG KONG

GOVERNMENT ARE SEEKING TO BE FAIR BOTH TO EMPLOYERS AND TO FOREIGN

DOMESTIC HELPERS, AS WELL AS TO THE SURPLUS OF LOCAL PEOPLE WHO

ARE PREPARED TO WORK AS PART-TIME DOMESTIC HELPERS.

IT IS NOT THE CASE (AS YOU WILL BY NOW HAVE SEEN) THAT

QUOTE ABOUT 3,000 IMMIGRANT DOMESTIC WORKERS WILL BE DEPORTED

FROM HONG KONG EFFECTIVE FROM 5 MAY 1987 UNQUOTE. AT PRESENT,

FOREIGN DOMESTIC HELPERS ARE ADMITTED INTO HONG KONG ON

SIX-MONTHLY PERIODS OF STAY. THE REVISED CONDITIONS OF STAY

STATE THAT IF A FOREIGN DOMESTIC HELPER'S CONTRACT IS TERMINATED,

HE OR SHE WILL BE ALLOWED TO STAY IN HONG KONG ONLY FOR THE

REMAINDER OF HIS OR HER CURRENT SIX MONTHS OR FOR TWO WEEKS AFTER

THE TERMINATION OF HIS OR HER CONTRACT, WHICHEVER IS THE SHORTER.

THE REASON FOR INTRODUCING THIS PROVISION IS TO ENSURE THAT

DOMESTIC HELPERS DO NOT STAY ON ILLEGALLY IN HONG KONG TO WORK

FOR OTHER EMPLOYERS WITHOUT A LEGAL CONTRACT. THE HONG KONG

DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION HAS, HOWEVER, MADE IT CLEAR THAT IN

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES A FOREIGN DOMESTIC HELPER WILL BE ALLOWED

TO STAY IN HONG KONG FOR LONGER THAN TWO WEEKS AFTER THE

TERMINATION OF HIS OR HER CONTRACT, OR WILL BE ALLOWED TO CHANGE

HIS OR HER EMPLOYER. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT CONSIDER THESE

PROVISIONS TO BE SUFFICIENTLY FLEXIBLE TO PROTECT THE INTERESTS

OF FOREIGN DOMESTIC HELPERS.

YOU MAY PERHAPS BE UNAWARE OF TWO OTHER ELEMENTS OF THE

HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S ANNOUNCMENT OF 16 APRIL. THE LOWEST

POSSIBLE MONTHLY WAGE FOR FOREIGN DOMESTIC HELPERS IN HONG KONG

HAS BEEN RAISED FROM 1,900 HK DLRS TO 2,300 HK DLRS. EMPLOYERS HAVE

ALSO BEEN REMINDED THAT THEY ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE OUT INSURANCE

POLICIES TO COVER ACCIDENTS ARISING OUT OF AND IN THE COURSE OF

THEIR EMPLOYMENT OF FOREIGN DOMESTIC HELPERS.

IN CONCLUSION, I SHOULD STRESS THAT THE HONG KONG

GOVERNMENT BELIEVE THAT IN INTRODUCING THESE REVISED CONDITIONS

OF EMPLOYMENT, THEY ARE ACTING IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF ALL

CONCERNED. I TRUST THAT THE INFORMATION ABOVE CLARIFIES THE

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