'Job Subsidy Failing To Protect Hotel Workers'

Workers' representatives from the hotel as well as food and beverages sectors said on Tuesday that employees are still facing salary cuts and forced to take leave without pay, despite the government paying employers a subsidy to protect jobs.

The Hotels, Food and Beverage Employees Association said a survey it conducted with 1,081 workers found that more than 60 percent of them are either unemployed, underemployed or asked to take unpaid leave.

About 90 percent of the respondents also said that their companies – despite having received government subsidies – forced them to work fewer hours and earn less.

Nerine Yip from the association said there were claims that some firms were manipulating their records and getting rid of staff, even though they'd received government handouts.

She said the government's Employment Support Scheme only requires employers to provide the number of employees to receive the subsidy, and that some companies could lay off their current workers and hire new ones at lower wages.

Yip said the government should stipulate that employers provide workers' names when applying for the subsidies to plug this loophole.

The association, which is affiliated to the Federation of Trade Unions, also said the government relief measures have left out some people.

A freelance worker, surnamed Chak, who was at the briefing by the association, said he worked as a waiter at banquets. He said he hasn’t had work for seven months now and has been living off his savings.

Yip said that authorities should pay workers in the sector HK$10,000 each when they implement the next round of the relief measures.