<![CDATA[Hong Kong's domestic helpers set to get a 2.4 per cent pay rise]>
More than 390,000 domestic helpers in Hong Kong will get a 2.4 per cent pay rise to HK$4,630 (US$590) per month, the government has said.
The food allowance for helpers " an alternative to free food from the employer as required in the employment contract " will also be increased by HK$46. After the increase, the food allowance will be at least HK$1,121 a month.
The new levels will apply to all contracts signed on or after Friday.
A government spokesman said it had carefully considered in this year's review Hong Kong's general economic and labour market conditions over the past year, as reflected through a number of indicators, including relevant income movement and price changes.
"The government has also taken into account Hong Kong's near-term economic outlook, as well as affordability for employers, on the one hand, and the interest of the foreign domestic helpers on the other," the spokesman said.
More than 390,000 domestic helpers were working in the city as of the end of May, according to the Labour and Welfare Bureau.
The government said contracts signed on Friday or earlier at the existing wage and food allowance would still be processed by the Immigration Department, provided the applications reached on or before October 25.
Migrant workers' groups were not happy about the size of the wage increase.
The Asian Migrants' Coordinating Body said the pay rise continued to degrade and discredit the value and contribution of domestic workers to the city's economy as the increase did not even cover the rate of inflation. It said the government should be embarrassed and ashamed.
"Despite being a high-value and luxurious city, the government has continued to treat migrant workers as slaves and neglected to improve living conditions," a spokesman said, adding that their campaign for a better wage would continue.
The last minimum wage increase for domestic workers was announced in September last year, when it rose from HK$4,410 to HK$4,520 per month.
This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
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