'HK Setting World Record In Worker-boss Pay Gap'

The Confederation of Trade Unions (CTU) say the pay gap between workers and bosses in Hong Kong is becoming the biggest in the world, and an average local employee has to work 1,400 years to earn what some executives get paid annually.

The confederation spokesman, Lee Cheuk-yan, cited as an example the annual pay of a boss of CK Hutchison. He said it is over 1,400 times more than what a cashier at the company’s supermarket chain gets in a year.

"That means a grassroot worker has to work for 1,400 years – from Tang Dynasty till now – to really earn the money he [his boss] earns in one year," Lee said.

He said across the world, including Europe and the US, there are discussions about capping the pay of fat cat bosses and they are talking about limiting it to 20 times that of an ordinary employee. But here it is hundreds of times more, he said.

"The gap is unreasonably high. I think it is absurd. I think it is the highest in the world," the former lawmaker said.

Lee told RTHK's Maggie Ho that instead of taking steps to address this, the government has adopted measures that have squeezed workers further.

The CTU called on the government to take steps to tackle the issue and urged the public to join the May 1 rally to highlight workers' problems.