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Written by: Huang Yongyu
2020-02-18 17:20
Last updated: 2020-02-18 17:26The outbreak of pneumonia in Wuhan caused by the new coronavirus persists. Labor representatives Zhou Xiaosong, Chen Yaoguang, Deng Jiabiao, Liang Zhuting and Li Guoqiang held a joint press conference today (18th) to urge the government to list new pneumonia as an occupational disease and strengthen protection for the public. Wage earners. They also criticized that at present the Labour Department only calls on employers of quarantined persons to "handle flexibly", which means that employers have the right to force employees to take "unpaid leave" against quarantine orders.
In response to the further rise in the unemployment rate, they expect the government to launch a series of measures, including the establishment of unemployment assistance and tightening of the supplementary labor plan, to alleviate the difficulties.
▼ Hong Kong's abnormal daily life under the epidemic ▼
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The pneumonia epidemic in Wuhan is raging. They propose to include new pneumonia in the occupational disease schedule under the Employees' Compensation Regulations to strengthen protection for wage earners. In addition, they criticized the Labor Department ’s guidelines issued in February that employers have the right to issue “unpaid leave” to quarantine employees. “Compared to SARS in 2003, the Labor Department has clearly stated that paid leave is applicable to employees receiving quarantine orders. "
Estimated unemployment rate rises to 5%
The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions Deng Jiabiao also said that the unemployment rate will be as high as 5% this year and more than 200,000 people will be unemployed, urging the government to introduce powerful relief measures. They suggested that the government should set up unemployment assistance or unemployment loans, and strengthen training, such as expanding the scope of the "Special Value Added Program" to assist the unemployed to change careers. "The measures should be able to respond quickly to emergencies."
Labor representatives from the LAB held a press conference today (18th) to urge the government to list new pneumonia as an occupational disease to protect the health and safety of employees. (Photo by Huang Yongyu)
A large number of employees take unpaid leave `` Heavy-hit areas '' in the catering, hotel, and transportation industries
Zhou Xiaosong, the secretary general of the AFL, pointed out that the union has recently received a large number of requests for unpaid leave. The main affected industries include catering, hotels, and transportation. At the same time, the drop in working hours is inconsistent with the general conditions for receiving working family allowances, and there is a chance of losing the allowances. "It is already in a very low class, and even thousands and hundreds of allowances are buried." He hopes that the government can make this period Handle as appropriate.
Labor union approves anti-epidemic fund out of focus, does not help alleviate unemployment
Li Guoqiang, director of the Labor Research Department of the Federation of Federations of Hong Kong and Kowloon Industries, criticized the government's earlier launch of a series of epidemic prevention and relief funds for out of focus, and was frankly disappointed. He pointed out that the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Luo Zhiguang, also mentioned that the main target of the fund was 200,000 low-income families, ignoring more than 3 million wage earners. "This is for poverty alleviation, not for labor." He also had no expectations of leaving the budget to work.
In addition to providing unemployment assistance, members of the LAB Labor Committee also suggested tightening the supplementary labor policy and strengthening local vacancy matching and retraining courses. In addition, they expect the government to "take the lead", promote rent reduction and waive licensing fees, and reduce the operating costs of the industry.
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