Two Hong Kong unions have opposed the government’s decision to further expand the quota for imported care workers, citing “huge harm” to the local labour force.
The labour and welfare chief Chris Sun said on his official blog on Wednesday that starting from the third quarter, the quota for hiring non-local care workers in residential care homes would be increased by 8,000 to 15,000.
In order to tackle a widespread labour crunch, the government last June announced it was expanding a series of labour import schemes. The quota for non-local care workers increased from 4,000 to 7,000.
The Health Services Employees Association and the Caregiving Services Employees Association, in a joint statement on Thursday, said local employees felt “very unsettled” by the latest government decision.
They said an expanded quota of 15,000 would change the current industry structure in care homes, where local employees are currently the main workforce.
“The government did not show support for local employment, but rather, it brought a huge threat and harm. It is not the right move,” said the two unions, which belong to the pro-establishment Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions.
Local employees for ‘higher-end’ work
Lam Ching-choi, a paediatrician and government adviser, told Ming Pao on Thursday he believed imported workers would not replace locals.
Lam said the quota was being expanded to cater for new residential care homes opening in the coming few years.
In the long term, Lam added, local employees were expected to be responsible for more “higher-end” professional work while imported labour would mainly take on frontline and basic duties.
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