Demand for Routine Examination of Hong Kong Labour Policy following Mass Dismissal of 200 Employees
Crunch Time for Hong Kong's Imported Labor Scheme
Tensions are high in the catering sector as local workers worry they're getting the ax in favor of foreign labor. The Eating Establishment Employees Union has been flooded with complaints over the past six months fromер fired restaurant workers, claiming they've been booted to make way for foreign imports.
On Thursday, the union spilled the beans about these employee woes, stating that some got the boot with immediate effect and suddenly found themselves replaced by workers who arrived in HK through an import scheme started by the government two years ago.
The Labor Department began accepting applications from autumn of 2023 for 26 roles, including waiters, junior chefs, sales, and hospitality staff, to bring in unskilled or low-skilled workers from China. The goal was to help combat manpower woes.
In a recent survey of 2,054 local workers, more than 1,500 respondents admitted their employers had imported talent. To make matters worse, 83% also said they knew folks who got the boot after employers hired imported hands.
The union is reporting that more than 200 local workers are struggling to find work since their employers hired imported staff and gave them the ol' heave-ho.
This influx of foreign labor has been a hot-button issue, with the Labor Department warning employers about replacing local talent with foreign imports. Employers who thumb their noses at this advice face administrative sanctions. However, the scheme remains operational, stirring calls for periodic reviews to address concerns and safeguard local employment opportunities.
As of April 2025, around 54,000 imported foreign workers were under the Enhanced Supplementary Labor Scheme. This move to bolster the workforce has unintended consequences, leaving some locals in the lurch and sounding alarm bells for employment equity.
- The Eating Establishment Employees Union revealed that some local workers were terminated unexpectedly and replaced with workers brought in through a government scheme started in 2023.
- The Labor Department's import scheme from 2023 aimed to address manpower shortages by bringing in unskilled or low-skilled workers from China for roles such as waiters, junior chefs, sales, and hospitality staff.
- In a survey of 2,054 local workers, over 1,500 admitted their employers had imported talent, and 83% of respondents also knew someone who lost their job after their employer hired imported staff.
- As a result of the imported foreign labor influx, more than 200 local workers are reportedly struggling to find work.
- To address concerns about foreign labor replacing local employment opportunities, some are calling for periodic reviews of the scheme and safeguards to ensure employment equity, as the number of imported foreign workers under the Enhanced Supplementary Labor Scheme reached 54,000 as of April 2025.
