Majority of Hong Kong's domestic helpers are from the Philippines and Indonesia. (Photo : Reuters)
The minimun wage of foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) working in Hong Kong was increased by 2.4 percent--from HK$4,110 to HK$4,210--as announced by the special administrative region's government on Wednesday.
The move comes as the food allowance received by FDHs also increased, from HK$964 to HK$995 HK.
Employers are required either to provide FDHs food free of charge or pay them a food allowance, according to the Standard Employment Contract for hiring the said workers.
The increases are effective for FDHs whose contracts are signed on or after Oct. 1.
According to a government spokesman, the Minimum Allowable Wage (MAW) for FDHs are regularly reviewed.
"In accordance with the established practice, we have carefully considered Hong Kong's general economic and labor market situations over the last year, as reflected through a basket of economic indicators, including the relevant income movement and price change in this year's review," the spokesman stated.
Moreover, the Hong Kong government said it has taken into consideration the region's future economic outlook in the near-term. Officials also look into the need to balance the affordability for employers and the livelihood of the employees.
Both the MAW and food allowance are measures to protect FDHs from low wages as well as to safeguard local domestic helpers from their foreign counterparts.
As of Dec. 2014, there are 330,650 FDHs in Hong Kong, a 3.1-percent increase from 2013's figure. A large fraction of the foreign domestic workers' populace are from Indonesia and the Philippines.
