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Written by: Zhang Jiamin
2021-04-07 15:09
Last update date: 2021-04-07 15:09
Although the new crown pneumonia epidemic situation has declined, many of the imported cases recently came from the Philippines, including many cases involving variant viruses. Some experts suggested that flights to the Philippines should be banned to prevent the variant viruses from infiltrating the community.
An employment agency said that due to the quarantine costs and complicated procedures, foreign domestic helpers from overseas have been reduced by 30%. At present, local foreign domestic helpers have increased their prices. It is estimated that the implementation of the ban will worsen the situation of oversupply. "(Wage) is certain Double (double) on.” Some representatives of employers of foreign domestic helpers pointed out that the quarantine, testing and other expenses have been as high as 30,000 yuan, and many employers tend to hire local foreign domestic helpers. Earlier, I heard that local domestic helpers asked to raise their monthly salary to 6000. To 7,000 yuan, I worry that the ban on flying will further increase wages to as high as 8,000 yuan, and there will be "work picks".
Some experts suggested that the government should consider banning flights to the Philippines in light of the situation.
(Data Picture/Photo by Gao Zhongming)
In response to many recent cases of the variant virus being Philippine arrivals in Hong Kong, some experts suggest that the government should consider banning flights to the Philippines in light of the situation. However, it is necessary to assess the impact of the measures on the employment of foreign domestic helpers by local families.
Zhang Jiemin, chairman of the Employment Agency Association, pointed out that employers who hire foreign domestic helpers need to apply for visas 3 to 4 months in advance. In addition, foreign domestic helpers need to make appointments in advance to check into quarantine hotels after arriving in Hong Kong. If the government bans flights from the Philippines to Hong Kong, employers will be banned. There is immediate monetary loss.
He said that at present, half of the foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong are hired locally, and the other half are hired from overseas.
In response to quarantine requirements, foreign domestic helpers have been reduced by about 20 to 30% to arrive in Hong Kong. It has been heard that foreign domestic helpers have asked for a monthly salary increase of up to 3%. It is estimated that the ban will worsen the situation where demand exceeds supply. "(Wage) must be double Go.” He is also worried that a large number of Filipino domestic helpers will "change jobs" and switch work families. While they are waiting to process their visa documents, they will still need to live in the foreign domestic helpers' dormitory, which may result in a large number of foreign domestic helpers staying in the dormitory at the same time or another outbreak of infection.
He suggested that foreign domestic helpers should be vaccinated after they arrive in Hong Kong, and the quarantine period after arrival in Hong Kong should be shortened from 21 days to 14 days, and the relevant expenses should be borne by the employer.
He believes that working with foreign domestic helpers, employers, intermediary companies, and even society is also beneficial.
He revealed that he has made relevant proposals with the Indonesian consulate and will meet with the Philippine consulate, hoping that they can discuss relevant arrangements with the Hong Kong government.
Zhang Jiemin, chairman of the Employment Agency Association, said that it is recommended that foreign domestic helpers be vaccinated locally before coming to Hong Kong.
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Employer representatives of foreign domestic helpers: up to 30,000 yuan for the preliminary expenses of quarantine and testing
FISH, a spokesperson for the "Hong Kong Federation of Foreign Helper Employers" on the FB page, pointed out that local employers need to pay quarantine hotel fees, testing fees, and intermediary fees before hiring foreign domestic helpers, which involves about 20,000 to 30,000 yuan.
However, due to the time-consuming process, "someone hasn't been hired for more than a year," and some foreign domestic helpers have applied to switch families shortly after they arrive, making many employers prefer to hire foreign domestic helpers who are already local.
He believes that if Hong Kong bans flights to the Philippines, it will make it more difficult for local employers to hire foreign domestic helpers and put more pressure on them.
He explained that most of the local Filipino domestic helpers are experienced foreign domestic helpers, and their monthly salary is usually about 5,000 to 6,000 yuan, which is higher than that of ordinary foreign domestic helpers. After the outbreak, some employers reported that Filipino domestic helpers had increased their fees to about 6,000 to 7,000 per month. Yuan, and some people put forward additional requirements, such as asking for room and board, etc.
He estimated that if the government implements a ban on flying, the monthly salary will increase to 7,000 to 8,000 yuan, and there will even be a "job selection" situation. Foreign domestic helpers choose the type of family they want to work in, which will make it more difficult for dual-time families to hire foreign domestic helpers.
He pointed out that if the price increase of Filipino domestic helpers is serious, local employers may hire Indian domestic helpers or local part-timers instead.
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Employers worry about being responsible for medical expenses after vaccination
In addition, he also mentioned that foreign domestic helpers often "broken their contracts" after the outbreak, that is, they request early termination of their contracts. According to his understanding, most of them are "changing jobs" and changing work families.
He pointed out that the Immigration Department used to reject about 200 applications each year. However, about 200 to 300 applications have been rejected in the current quarter. It is estimated that the situation will worsen after the flight ban.
As for the suggestion that foreign domestic helpers should be vaccinated first, he has reservations about this.
He worries that foreign domestic helpers may have side effects after being vaccinated and come to Hong Kong. If it is judged that they are not directly related to the vaccine, the employer will have to pay the foreign domestic helpers' medical expenses in Hong Kong.
Some foreign domestic helper agents and foreign domestic helper employer representatives pointed out that once the government bans flights to the Philippines, local domestic helpers will increase the price.
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Rong Mashan expects the government will not rush to ban flying
The chairman of the Hong Kong Domestic Helper Employers Association, Rong Ma Shan-er, believes that the Hong Kong government will not rush to ban flights from the Philippines. After all, there are still employers in Hong Kong who need to hire local foreign domestic helpers, and there are also local overseas Chinese who want to come to Hong Kong for business. If the government decides to ban flights, they should Immediately resume flights after the epidemic eases to reduce the impact on Hong Kong people.
Rong Ma Shaner continued to point out that under the epidemic, many employers are worried that foreign domestic helpers will turn positive after they arrive in Hong Kong. Therefore, they are more inclined to hire local foreign domestic helpers. The job opportunities of foreign domestic helpers have risen and the working conditions are more obvious. Don’t do it for a thousand and five feet, don’t do it if you have a small animal, you want a separate house, choose the area, convenient transportation, etc." However, she emphasized that if the foreign domestic helper has work experience and knows how to drive, the salary will be higher. "You can call it." More than 50,000 mosquitoes".
Yung Ma Shaner pointed out that many employers are worried that foreign domestic helpers will turn to positive after they arrive in Hong Kong, so they are more inclined to hire local foreign domestic helpers.
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