The labor sector proposes a policy address to promote the implementation of unemployment assistance funds to cancel the MPF hedging within the year

Political situation

Written by: Peng Zhuowei

2020-09-04 18:00

Last update date: 2020-09-04 18:00

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor will release a new "Policy Address" in October. It is now during the public consultation period. Legislative Council members of the labor sector and LAB employee representatives today (4th) issued a public proposal requesting Carrie Lam to respond to public sentiments. We will reform labor rights and social security, solve various protection issues, and implement labor demands that have been promised for many years.

Regarding the long-accumulated issue of the cancellation of the MPF hedging, representatives of the labor sector strongly urge the government to honor its promise and submit a draft for the cancellation of the MPF hedging to the Legislative Council as soon as possible this year.

The labor sector also proposed that the government should implement an unemployment assistance system, establish an individual-oriented unemployment assistance system, provide cash assistance or interest-free cash loans in a limited period, and focus on helping the unemployed or employees on unpaid leave cope with their difficulties.

Representatives of the labor sector pointed out that it has long been a social consensus to cancel the MPF hedging severance payment and long service payment. They also believe that allowing the hedging problem to deteriorate will eventually only collapse retirement protection and increase public grievances. Therefore, the government is required to fulfill its promise to cancel the hedging. The draft to cancel the MPF hedging will be submitted to the Legislative Council as soon as possible.

The representatives of the labor sector proposed in the proposal that the cancellation of the MPF hedging severance payment and long service payment has long been a social consensus. In June 2018, both employers and employees reached a consensus in the LAB. The government also promised to end 2020 Before, the draft amendment was submitted to the Legislative Council.

Looking back at 2019, nearly 4.7 billion MPF ​​was hedged, reaching a record high in previous years. Representatives of the labor sector believe that allowing the hedging problem to worsen will eventually only collapse retirement protection and increase public grievances. Therefore, the government is required to fulfill its promise to cancel the hedging. The draft to cancel the MPF hedging will be submitted to the Legislative Council as soon as possible.

Advocate the government to create more than 70,000 jobs

The labor sector also pointed out that there is a serious shortage of services in many industries in Hong Kong, and there are a large number of manpower needs, such as maintenance and inspection of electrical and mechanical facilities, beautification and restoration of public spaces and facilities, community care and custody services, and residential care services. The department has the responsibility to directly hire more employees to improve services and promote various livelihood projects. It is recommended that the government should exceed the 2003 SARS target, create more than 70,000 jobs, and ease the pressure of unemployment.

▼The second round of epidemic prevention and anti-epidemic fund measures ▼

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The third round of anti-epidemic fund should be launched as soon as possible to unify public and labor holidays

Under the new crown pneumonia epidemic, the government has launched two rounds of anti-epidemic funds. However, representatives of the labor sector criticized that the fund lacks support for employees in some industries in the hardest hit areas, especially some of them are self-employed or casual workers, such as full-time sports coaches and massage Massage technicians, entertainment performers and production staff, etc., also refer to civil aviation, hotel, food and education-related employees who employ a large number of employees, and they have never directly benefited.

The labor sector has also criticized that the 80 billion yuan "employment protection plan" is used to favor employers. "Indiscriminately investing in medicine, not only does employers in the good prospects industry receive huge amounts of subsidies, but it also ironically becomes a significant source of income for many companies." The government should start the third round of the anti-epidemic fund, make up for the omissions, and ensure that funding is directly allocated to practitioners in difficult industries.

In addition, the labor sector suggests that the government must face up to the problem of unfairness between public holidays and statutory labor holidays, and request the government to unify public holidays and labor holidays as soon as possible, implement substantive work, and reduce social conflicts caused by unfairness.

Advocate the suspension of the importation of foreign labor and the abolition of unnecessary outsourcing and contract systems

The representatives of the labor sector also suggested in the proposal that in order to protect the rights and employment opportunities of local workers, the government should suspend the importation of foreign workers in the face of severe unemployment; amend the law to increase penalties to protect the lives of employees in high-risk industries; and the statutory minimum wage system Change from "two-year inspection" to "one-year inspection"; enact standard working hours as soon as possible.

In addition, the labor sector suggests that the government should abolish unnecessary outsourcing and contract systems, establish a comprehensive consulting structure, improve the existing salary adjustment sampling mechanism, and implement standard working hours first; the government should also improve the post-retirement medical care of new civil servants We will review the three-year probation period of newly recruited civil servants, and recommend returning to two years.

The labor sector also requested that the government legislate to protect workers' rights to collective bargaining, establish a mechanism that respects the voice of employees and the rights of labor unions, to reduce misunderstandings between labor and management, and to deal with the fragmentation and networking of work caused by technology.

▼ "Budget 2020" measures▼

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Legislative Council renewal ︳ The labor sector urges the government to submit a draft cancellation of the hedge as soon as possible to establish unemployment assistance

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