The Chief Executive, Carrie Lam, announced earlier that in response to the extension of the ban on dine-in restaurants in the evening market and the closure of listed premises until the third day of the new year, the fifth round of anti-epidemic funds will be released.
Some casual workers in the catering industry and security have complained that the relevant funds only benefit large employers, while grassroots workers are affected by the work stoppage and cannot apply for any subsidies due to many barriers. There are also single mothers who work in the wedding industry for two years. They thought they would see the light at the end of the year. Immediately, she was banned from dine-in dinners and ordered to be handicapped. Her 6-year-old daughter was unable to go out to work due to the suspension of physical classes. She lamented the sadness of the new year. emergency support.
Casual workers fall victim to the first round of ban on dine-in
In response to the government's announcement of the fifth round of anti-epidemic fund arrangements, the Hong Kong Community Organization Association gathered a group of grassroots workers to hold a grievance meeting today (16th) to talk about the current living difficulties.
Mr. Deng, a casual worker, lost his job due to the closure of the government at the beginning of the outbreak. He had to sleep at a cultural center for a while, but with the help of the social association, he found a place to live. He also worked as a cook in a restaurant, working 5 days a week. However, after the government suddenly announced the ban on dine-in in the evening market, he was immediately notified by the supervisor that he would not be working until further notice. The catering industry (bosses) don’t save the people, so why don’t all of them do anything?”
Mr. Liang, who is also a casual worker in the catering industry, said that it was near the end of the year. It was originally the best period for restaurants and restaurants, and casual workers also benefited from it. The hourly wages were up to more than 70 yuan, but now they have stopped the evening market and have been hired by the casual worker supervisor. He verbally informed that "there is business if there is a banquet, but if there is no business, you will not be allowed to go." The casual workers stopped talking without any employee benefits. He worried that the catering industry would be off-season after the New Year, and the ban on dine-in restaurants in the evening may be extended. "Cancel 14 and 14 days", life will only get more and more difficult.
Ms. Zhang's family rents a sub-unit in Sham Shui Po at a monthly rent of RMB 5,500. The monthly water and electricity bills amount to RMB 700-800. Because she has to take care of her children, she works as a part-time house assistant to help make ends meet while her husband is working on the restaurant floor. She earns more than 10,000 yuan. However, due to the suspension of physical classes in primary schools due to the epidemic, she has to stay at home to take care of her children and cannot go out to work. Her husband also has to work half-time because of the ban on dine-in in the market. I can't pay my utility bills, my family has no extra savings, and I can't imagine the consequences if the dine-in ban is extended for another month.
Ms. He, a single mother with a 6-year-old daughter, has been engaged in the rental and sale of wedding dresses for 8 years. After the outbreak of the epidemic in 2020, the business plummeted. During this period, she received a one-time subsidy of 80,000 yuan for the retail industry from the Anti-epidemic Fund. Affected by the epidemic, she also had to bow her head. She reduced the size of the shop with a monthly rent of 30,000 yuan to a small shop with a monthly rent of 6,000 yuan. She and her daughter also lived in a subdivided room of 5,000 yuan. At the end of last year, the epidemic eased slightly, and the business of the wedding industry recovered , after deducting all expenses, her monthly income gradually rose from 3,000 yuan to more than 10,000 yuan, but the ban on dine-in banquets in disguise canceled the wedding banquet. She works part-time at a chain fast food restaurant, but her daughter who was promoted to primary one stopped physical classes and couldn't keep her at home alone. "I usually take her with me when I open a shop, but it's impossible to go out to work. I've been through it for two years, and I had hope. , but 𠵱The family has zero income, and after a month of burying it, I will be hesitant, and I don’t know what to do next.”
Owen used to work as a restaurant manager, but he lost his job due to the sudden closure of the restaurant. Last year, he was transferred to a night shift security guard. Unexpectedly, the commercial building where he worked was full of restaurants, and the management company was laid off due to the ban on dine-in in the evening market.
(Photo by Mo Jiawen)
Restaurant manager lost his job and turned into a night guard
Owen, who worked as a security guard, worked as a restaurant manager for more than ten years before the epidemic. Later, due to the social movement and the outbreak of the epidemic, the employer suddenly closed the business and it was difficult to find a job in the industry. In January last year, he started to work as a casual security guard, mainly in Causeway Bay. A commercial building works night shifts and earns 600 yuan a day for six days and six days. Until recently, the government banned dine-in in the evening market. It just so happened that the merchants on each floor of the commercial building were restaurants. As a result, the management company immediately laid off staff and informed him that he would not be working for the time being.
He described his job as a security guard from a catering service as "being shot while lying down." He pointed out that he had applied for low-income working family allowance, timely rain fund and CSSA during the period of underemployment and unemployment. However, due to the high income of his previous job, casual workers could not provide reasonable He is worried that if the ban on dine-in dining is extended to the end of February or longer, it will even be a problem to pay rent to subdivided property owners.
Groups urge emergency relief for unemployment or employment difficulties
Shi Lishan, deputy director of the social association, said that the epidemic has been repeated repeatedly for more than two years, and the employment rate has only slowly picked up in recent months. Before the recovery, the fifth wave of the epidemic has ushered in. The government launched a series of epidemic prevention measures on the 7th of last month, including The suspension of classes in the Kindergarten Primary School, the ban on dine-in in the evening market, and the closure of listed premises have once again hit the people's livelihood and economy. Grassroots workers have received orders to suspend work or take unpaid leave. When it comes to the New Year’s dinner, I am worried that I will not get the money to eat. If I don’t even have the money for water replenishment, there will be savings and no savings, and I will owe a debt to my relatives, friends or financial companies.” She urged the government to set up unemployment and employment difficulties as soon as possible. Aid Fund, with a ceiling of $16,000 for a period of six months, the claim amount is 80% of the salary declared before unemployment, and the estimated number of beneficiaries is 400,000. Therefore, the government has allocated $30 billion in non-recurring expenses in the Budget. enough.
She pointed out that in response to the sudden unemployed or underemployment of a large number of wage earners in recent months, the government can make use of the 96 approval centres of partner institutions under the Community Chest's "Timely Rain Fund" in the short term to provide a one-time "Timely Rain" to those in need through targeted poverty alleviation "Anti-epidemic Funding Allowance" for emergency relief, with reference to the past approval speed of the Fund, the approval will be obtained within one to two weeks after registration, which can cope with the current difficulties.
Subdivided housing rent control came into effect on the 22nd of this month. Concerned groups, the Appraisal and Appraisal Department implemented a special furniture package for children of subdivided housing households. In August, 2,000 grassroots families took the lead in trial. Real estate education social enterprise transforms classrooms into global villages
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