A Hong Kong women workers’ group has called on the government to suspend the city’s “enhanced” labour import scheme, saying it has negatively affected employees’ working conditions.
Around 15 members of the Hong Kong Women Workers’ Association (HKWWA) unfurled a banner and held signs outside the Central Government Offices (CGO) on Sunday, ahead of the annual Labour Day on May 1.
The banner read: “There are many defects in labour protection” and “Government policies are not the right fit.”
A government representative later met the group outside the CGO complex to receive their petition.
The group said in a statement that the government’s two-year expanded labour import scheme, which was launched in September 2023, had caused employers to lose interest in improving working conditions.
“Currently, the easy importation of non-local labour means that local employers have no motivation to improve conditions to attract workers, raise wages, or enhance occupational health and safety,” the Chinese-language statement read.
The Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme allows Hong Kong employers to bring in non-local workers for 26 types of jobs that were previously only open to local residents – including cashiers, hair stylists, sales assistants, and waiters – as well as unskilled or low-skilled posts such as cleaners, dishwashers, and security guards.
Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun told the Legislative Council on April 16 that the government had approved a total of 54,278 non-local workers – mostly from mainland China – between September 2023 and March 2025.
Among them, 8,971 people took up positions as waiters and waitresses, followed by 6,172 individuals hired as junior cooks.
The HKWWA said on Sunday that it was “ironic” that Hong Kong allowed more non-local workers to take up jobs in the food and beverage and retail sectors amid the industries’ downturn.
Some cleaners were dismissed due to their age in recent years, while around 2,500 workers were imported from elsewhere for this role, they added.
They urged the government to formulate policies to better protect local low-skilled labour, saying such workers have “low bargaining power” because they are seen as easily replaceable.
On Thursday, a catering labour union asked the government to establish a mechanism to halt the labour import scheme after finding that more than 200 local employees reported being replaced by imported workers.
The HKWWA also called on the government to consider adopting a living wage of HK$61.50 per hour, instead of a minimum wage, because the latter does not reflect a “reasonable return” for workers.
Hong Kong is set to raise the statutory hourly minimum wage from HK$40 to HK$42.10 in May.
However, the new minimum wage still fails to “uphold workers’ dignity” in their daily lives, the group said, pointing out that it would only lead to a monthly wage of HK$10,158, assuming the minimum wage worker works full-time.
The government should re-evaluate the minimum pay calculation mechanism, so that workers can keep up with inflation and ensure their income is higher than that of those who receive Comprehensive Social Security Assistance, the HKWWA said.
Implementing a living wage, which is calculated based on the cost of living in Hong Kong, can allow workers to support themselves and one non-working family member, the group said.
Workers “can afford a balanced diet, maintain a social life, and save for unexpected events,” the HKWWA said.
Hong Kong first introduced the statutory minimum wage in 2011. It was last adjusted in 2023 after a four-year freeze.
