Govt Urged To Pay Salaries Of Struggling Workers

The Labour Party has called on the government to offer financial assistance to the self-employed, as well as people who have been forced to take unpaid leave or cut their hours down because of the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.

It recommended on Thursday that the government cover up to 80 percent of these people's salaries, capped at HK$16,000 a month.

The party said it believed the move would help up to 180,000 workers, and could cost around HK$16 billion in total.

The party's Carol Ng, who also chairs the Confederation of Trade Unions, explained that similar schemes are being rolled out around the world, but she and her colleagues have decided to make their recommendations as simple as possible.

"We've never had any kind of employment support or employment relief in the past, so in our recommendations to the government, it's got to be a very easy understanding and applicable in the simplest way," Ng said.

Party lawmaker Fernando Cheung said if the government is willing to roll out their recommendations, workers could get their money in mere weeks.

"We're not requiring that a new application process be established. We are saying that these salaries would be paid through the employers, by and large. Employers would ask for reimbursement from the government," Cheung said.

"Therefore, the employees, or those who are self-employed could benefit from the scheme immediately. And that is the crux of the matter, we need this to be carried out speedily".