Package 'spells No Relief' For Jobless, Caterers

A grassroots concern group on Monday urged the government to provide compensation for the unemployed, saying the latest $137 billion coronavirus relief package does little to help the jobless in Hong Kong.

The CSSA Alliance polled 250 grassroots residents living in the Sham Shui Po and Yau Tsim Mong districts on the phone. More than 70 percent said they didn't think the government's plan to subsidise salaries would prevent people from being sacked.

The government had said it plans to relax the eligibility requirements for applicants of unemployment benefits in the wake of the Covid-19 virus, but around half of the respondents said they would not apply for social security assistance even if they're fired.

The alliance's community organiser Sam Wong said one of the reasons for their reluctance is that Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) was "stigmatised" by society and the government.

"Quite a lot of people who [are] unemployed are still finding jobs and want to go back to the [job] market as soon as possible, so it's not really suitable for them to apply to the CSSA," said Wong, who also criticised the CSSA's requirements as too demanding.

He told RTHK's Frances Sit that the government should set up a special compensation fund particularly to help the jobless instead.

Meanwhile, some small and medium-sized caterers it polled in the survey don't think that the government went far enough to save jobs with its latest coronavirus relief package.

It said 37 of the 50 business owners believe the government subsidy on wages couldn't help prevent job cuts or business closures, while close to two dozens of those surveyed said they are at least thinking of ending their business, if they have not already done so.

Johnson Lo, who operates a food factory, said the city's food and beverage industry had been hit hard by the economic fallout of the pandemic.