Labour Issues

The Chamber expresses concerns about the increasing number of industrial accidents in Hong Kong. These occurrences not only impact workers and their families but also tarnish our global reputation as a world-class international business and financial hub. The surge in unfortunate accidents has highlighted several critical issues that require prompt attention.

The Chamber expresses concerns regarding the recent proposed revisions to the minimum and maximum levels of relevant income for MPF contributions. While we acknowledge the necessity of reviewing these income levels, which have remained unchanged since June 2014, we believe that the proposed increase in the maximum income will pose significant challenges for employers, particularly in light of the fragile economy and the impending abolition of the MPF offsetting mechanism in May 2025.

The Chamber welcomes the revision of "Code of Practice - Safety and Health at Work in Confined Spaces". The Labour Department’s suggested revision of the Code of Practice is a major step in the direction of Vision Zero, as advocated by The International Social Security Association.

HKGCC supports the Government’s policy objective of improving health and safety at work. However, we believe that it can be achieved more effectively by means other than significantly raising penalties, and doubling the period for summons from six months to one year as proposed.

HKGCC welcomes the opportunity to comment on the review of the Statutory Minimum Wage (“SMW”) rate, which we recommend to be left unchanged at the current level of $37.5 per hour.

The Chamber considers achieving herd immunity in Hong Kong to be critical in bringing the coronavirus pandemic under control and restoring normalcy. To that end, a number of recommendations has been made to the Government to promote public buy-in and achieve a higher vaccination rate.

The Chamber submitted a letter to the Labour and Welfare Bureau in response to the Government’s Revised Amendment Proposal on the Occupational Safety and Health Legislation. The Chamber disagreed with the substantial increase in penalties as it might lead to drastic consequences during the present dismayed economic situation. Instead, the Government should tackle the problem at source and focus on education and prevention instead of punishment.

The Chamber welcomes the opportunity to respond to the public consultation regarding the review of Statutory Minimum Wage rate. We recommend the Minimum Wage Commission to keep the Statutory Minimum Wage rate unchanged at the current level of $37.5 per hour in consideration of Hong Kong’s economic outlook and pressure facing by local businesses.

The Chamber agrees with the Government's objective to lower rate of industrial accidents. However, the Chamber queries whether the proposed substantial increase in the maximum statutory level of penalties on businesses can achieve such objective. The Government should take a holistic approach and focus on other approaches to reducing industrial accidents, instead of simply increasing penalties and fines.

The Chamber supports the Government’s efforts to implement anti-tax avoidance measures for plugging the loopholes of misusing or abusing Hong Kong to obtain ORSO exemption. We also call for a proper regulatory assessment in certain areas to ensure Hong Kong’s competitiveness would not be undermined, in particular an absolute ban on new exemption applications under ORSO.