Party
can help maids with wage problems
James
Tien
November
11 th 2002 South China Morning Post (Letter to Editor)
Your
reader Mr. Bob Beadman suggested on January 7 that if the Liberal Party is sincere
in helping foreign domestic helpers, we should try to get the Legislative Council
to bring in a law that guarantees a minimum wage.
For Mr. Beadman's information, a minimum wage requirement has been in operation
since 1973, and section 23 and 63C of the Employment Ordinance imposes a maximum
penalty of one-year imprisonment and $200,000 fine if any employers are discovered
not to do so.
Unfortunately, for Mr. Beadman, a lot of your readers and many domestic helpers this point is not clear. There is nothing the government or the Liberal Party can do if workers do not come out to report this unlawful act.
The Liberal Party, foreign domestic helper representatives and the government
officials concerned had a meeting on January 3, 2003 during which the Liberal
Party decided to set up a committee which mainly consists of lawyers among our
party, to help domestic helpers to fight their cases.
I would urge Mr. Beadman to ask his friend - the maid who is only paid $2,500
- to contact the Liberal Party at 2869 6833 or by email : liberal@liberal.org.hk,
and we will take up the issue with her.