Omicron｜Employees in multiple industries were given unpaid leave

The mutant virus strain Omicron has entered the local community, and the Hong Kong government has tightened social distancing measures, including the closure of many venues and the ban on dine-in in the evening market.

The Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Associations said today (12th) that wage-earners in many industries were required to take unpaid leave or reduce working hours, resulting in a significant reduction in their income.

However, in the past four rounds of anti-epidemic funds, the government has concentrated on providing support to enterprises, failing to directly benefit most wage earners.

The AFL urges the government to directly provide a one-off cash stoppage allowance of RMB 9,000 to employees in the affected industries in the new round of anti-epidemic funds, and to set up unemployment assistance as soon as possible to provide workers who are continuously affected by the epidemic and have been suspended from work or their income has been greatly reduced. support.

Tan Jinlian, vice-chairman of the AFL and a labor council representative of the LAB, pointed out that since the tightening of epidemic prevention measures on January 7, many workers have received notices of suspension of work and unpaid leave.

She reluctantly said that business in various industries was booming in December last year, and the catering industry also employed many casual workers, but "as the Lunar New Year is approaching, there may not be jobs available."

Ho Renqing, Secretary General of the Federation of Hong Kong Catering Trade Unions, described the catering industry as entering an "ice age". Although there was a fifth round of anti-epidemic funds, employers were subsidized in previous rounds, and "workers received nothing at all." .

The AFL pointed out that when workers in various industries were immediately suspended or reduced work after the tightening of epidemic prevention measures, they demanded the government to "resolutely prevent the epidemic and also provide relief", and demanded that the new round of epidemic prevention and anti-epidemic fund support measures must fall into the hands of wage earners , direct benefits to employees, and the provision of cash anti-lockdown benefits.

The AFL also stated that, referring to the government's earlier practice of providing 2,000 short-term jobs at community vaccination centers for the tourism industry, it is suggested that the government can also create more short-term or temporary jobs for employees who have lost their jobs due to the epidemic, such as short-term jobs for community epidemic prevention. , and examples include assisting in monitoring the usage of Safe Travel, and even preparing for the national test.

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