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| Support call: Chief Executive Donald Tsang urges businesses to participate in the Wage Protection Movement to safeguard salaries of workers in the cleansing and guarding services sector. |
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The Chief Executive calls on the trade and industry sectors to participate in a Wage Protection Movement to be set up for employees in the cleansing and guarding services sector.
In his Policy Address today, Donald Tsang noted that the Government strives to ensure that all layers of the community benefit from economic growth, but there were still diverse views on whether to legislate for a minimum wage and standard working hours.
"Taking into account the views of stakeholders, and having carefully considered our socio-economic situation, the Government considers that the pragmatic approach at this stage is to provide wage protection through non-legislative means," he said.
"Together with the business community and the labour sector, the Government will launch a Wage Protection Movement for employees in the cleansing and guarding services sectors. We will actively encourage corporations and contractors to join this movement to ensure that employees in these two sectors will receive wages not lower than the average market rates of the relevant industries and occupations as published in the Quarterly Report of Wage & Payroll Statistics of the Census & Statistics Department."
Labour Department to promote wage protection
These workers will enjoy the same protection as their counterparts employed under Government outsourced service contracts, he said, adding the Labour Department will promote wage protection through promotion, publicity, public education, contractual regulation and enforcement.
"Through the use of written employment contracts, the department will be able to conciliate labour disputes and take enforcement action more effectively, thereby protecting the employees.
"In the spirit of corporate social responsibility, I call on the trade and industry sectors to actively participate and fully support this worthy social cause."
Two years after its implementation, the movement will be reviewed. If results are not satisfactory, Mr Tsang warned, "we will set out to prepare for the introduction of legislation for a minimum wage in the cleansing and guarding services sectors. I believe that the next administration will follow up on this matter."
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