The Hong Kong Labor Department announced that they will implement a salary increase for all foreign domestic helpers in their country including Filipinos.  

The minimum allowable wage (MAW) for household service workers (HSWs) in Hong Kong will have an increase of HKD180. This is a 4.8% percent increase, from HKD3,740 to HKD3,920 and is said to be the biggest in years.  Meanwhile the increase for the minimum food allowance is HKD100, from HKD775 to HKD875.

The Labor Department reported this development in an article that appeared in their official website.

Secretary Baldoz who heard of this development from Labor Attache to Hong Kong, Manuel Roldan said, “The decision was made by the HK Labor Department following its annual review of the MAW for foreign household service workers. The review took into consideration Hong Kong’s general economic and employment situation, relevant income movements, price changes and HK labour market situation.”

The standard employment contract for foreign workers in Hong Kong states that the employers should provide free food or give money for food allowance to the HSWs. It is said that majority of the employers in Hong Kong choose to give the food allowance in cash.

However, the increase would only be applied to new contracts that were signed starting September 20, 2012. Contracts that were signed until September 19, 2012 will receive the previous rate.

Baldoz said, “This is a welcome development for our HSWs because the Hong Kong government has always been protective and considerate in looking after the welfare of expatriate workers.”

The Hong Kong Labor Department said in a press statement, “The MAW and food allowance are only a minimum standard which are set to protect foreign domestic helpers from exploitation and to protect local workers from competition with low-wage foreign workers. Employers may choose to give FDHs better terms than the MAW and food allowance, depending in their individual situations.”

Baldoz added, “I have ordered our POLO to closely coordinate with the Hong Kong Immigration to implement this new wage policy with regards to the timeline set.”