TNAG-1665-FCO40-2314-Hong-Kong-employment-issues-and-ordinances-foreign-domestic-1987 — Page 183

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TELNO 175

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FCO TELNO 111: FOREIGN DOMESTIC HELPERS (FDH'S) IN HONG KONG

1. HEAD OF CHANCERY CALLED ON THE DFA (CONSULAR AND ASIA/PACIFIC

SECTIONS), THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS) AND THE PHILIPPINES OVERSEAS EMPLOYMENT AGENCY (POEA) ON

8/9 APRIL TO EXPLAIN THE PROPOSED CHANGES IN THE TERMS AND CON-

DITIONS OF SERVICE OF FDHS IN HONG KONG, LEAVING A COPY OF HIS SPEAKING NOTES IN EACH CASE. IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO SEE

PHILIPPINE CONSUL GENERAL REYES BUT DFA OFFICIALS UNDERTOOK TO

PASS A COPY OF THE SPEAKING NOTES TO HIM BEFORE HIS DEPARTURE.

2. IT IS UNLIKELY THAT THE PHILIPPINES GOVERNMENT WILL REACT

BADLY TO THE PROPOSALS. THE INCREASE IN MINIMUM WAGE RATES WAS

WELCOMED AND THE REASONS FOR THE OTHER MEASURES UNDERSTOOD. IN GENERAL, HONG KONG HAS A GOOD REPUTATION AS AN EMPLOYER HERE. THE PHILIPPINE AUTHORITIES HAVE MORE DIFFICULTIES WITH SAUDI ARABIA,

JAPAN AND SINGAPORE.

3. THE ONLY SUBSTANTIVE QUERY CAME FROM THE POEA DIRECTOR WHO RAISED AN ILLUSTRATIVE CASE OF À FILIPINA WHO LEFT HER EMPLOYER

BECAUSE OF ABUSE AND FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN HERSELF IN

HONG KONG WHILST HER CASE WAS PENDING BECAUSE OF THE RESTRICTION

ON PART-TIME WORK. WOULD SHE BE DEPORTED IN TWO WEEKS AND HAVE TO

PURSUE HER CASE AGAINST HER EMPLOYER FROM MANILA? HE ALSO COM-

MENTED THAT HONG KONG IMMIGRATION TENDED TO GIVE FDHS QUOTE A

ROUGH TIME UNQUOTE AND THAT FEMALE TOURISTS FROM THE PHILIPPINES

WERE OFTEN MISTAKEN FOR FDHS. COULD THERE BE A SEPARATE

IMMIGRATION QUEUE FOR FDHS?

4. DFA OFFICIALS REPORTED THAT CONSUL GENERAL REYES WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE HIGH FEES BEING CHARGED BY HONG KONG EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES, OFTEN DOUBLE THE LEGAL MAXIMUM. HE WAS THREATENING TO REFUSE TO AUTHENTICATE CONTRACTS FROM SUCH AGENCIES.

5. WE INTEND TO SUBMIT A FORMAL NOTE VERBALE ONCE THE NEW CONDITIONS ARE APPROVED. GRATEFUL IF HONG KONG COULD LET US KNOW DATE OF ANNOUNCEMENT AND EFFECTIVE DATE FOR NEW MINIMUM WAGE. GRATEFUL ALSO FOR COPIES IN DUE COURSE OF REVISED PAMPHLETS (PARA 4(D) OF HONG KONG TELNO 1128 TO FCO REFERS).

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