The Government will table a bill on a statutory minimum wage for cleaning workers and security guards in the 2008-09 legislative session if the Wage Protection Movement proves ineffective in an overall review in October, Permanent Secretary for Labour & Welfare Paul Tang says.

Speaking at a commendation ceremony today, Mr Tang thanked corporations and committees that have joined the movement for being willing to shoulder social responsibility by offering reasonable wages and staff protection to cleaning workers and security guards.

He stressed the support of such corporations and committees will be the key to the movement's success, noting letters have been sent to more than 10,000 owners' corporations and owners' committees to appeal to them to join the movement.

Labour Department figures showed about 1,100 enterprises and organisations have supported the movement since its launch in October 2006.

Up to the end of February, the department had posted more than 4,300 job vacancies for cleaning workers and security guards with wage levels at or above the relevant market averages.

At the department's urging,10% of employers posting vacancies had raised the wage levels for such jobs.