Chief Executive Carrie Lam today met about 50 Food & Environmental Hygiene Department contract cleaning workers in Mong Kok to learn about their work.

She thanked them for their efforts during the recent months when violent clashes broke out frequently in Mong Kok.

Mrs Lam noted they had cleared barricades and objects on roads through the night so that basic cleaning work could be completed before people went out in the morning.

The Chief Executive also said the Government is stepping up its cleaning work for public facilities in response to the cluster of pneumonia cases detected in Wuhan and appealed for the assistance of the cleaning workers.

She added that the Government attaches great importance to the well-being of grassroots workers.

Mrs Lam said the hourly rates for government outsourced contract workers have increased substantially since the improvement measures for the tendering of government service contracts came into effect.

She was pleased to note that the monthly salary of the department’s cleaning workers has increased by 22% compared to the end of 2018.

The Government will pay attention to the implementation of the new measures and will continue to explore further room for improvement, she said.