TNAG-1665-FCO40-2314-Hong-Kong-employment-issues-and-ordinances-foreign-domestic-1987 — Page 216

For discussion

on 24 February 1987

Introduction

ANNEX TO XCCI (87)8

XCC(87) 28

Copy No......

MEMORANDUM FOR EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

FOREIGN DOMESTIC HELPERS

IN HONG KONG : A LIMIT ON THE NUMBERS

On 16 December 1986,

after considering memorandum XCC (86) 191 (copy at Annex), the Council advised and the Governor ordered that a further submission should be prepared for the Council containing

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(a)

(b)

proposals for enforcing the conditions of employment and assessing the consequent implications on the numbers of foreign domestic helpers;

a proposal based on that at paragraph 17(d) of the memorandum for placing a ceiling on the number of foreign domestic helpers; and

(c) an examination of the implications for Hong

Kong's relations with the Philippines.

The purpose of this Memorandum is to seek Members' advice on points (b) and (c); that is to say, on whether there should be a limit on the numbers of foreign domestic helpers (FDHS) allowed in Hong Kong at any one time, and also on whether the wage range for FDHS should be brought up to а level equal to the current wage range for full-time local domestic helpers. Member's advice is being sought separately at this meeting of the Council on point (a), that is, possible changes to the conditions of employment of FDHs.

The limit on the numbers

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At the end of December 1986 there were 28,951 FDHs legitimately in Hong Kong. The Director of Immigration estimates that there could be 3,000 applications in the process of being put forward. То allow for these applications, it is proposed that the limit be set at 32,000 (subject to review should

should there be a significant change in Hong Kong's employment situation or in any other relevant factors). To put this figure in perspective, it is higher than the 27,000 allowed out of China each year to settle in Hong Kong; it is equivalent to more than 0.5% of the Hong Kong population; it is equivalent to 1.1% of the labour force as a whole; and to 3.2% of the female labour force. Statistics are not available to show the proportion of domestic helpers this figure would account for.