People’s Alliance is urging the government to increase the minimum wage to HK$35 an hour and for the amount to be reviewed annually.
The Alliance claims that the minimum wage should allow workers cover basic living expenses and with the Consumer Price Index in May up by 8.4 per cent and the minimum wage increase only up 7.1 per cent (from HK$28 in May 2011 to HK$30 in May 2013), workers are actually taking home less earnings.
A survey on workers in Aug. and Sept. show alarming figures – about 40 per cent of those interviewed earned less than HK$31 an hour and 29 per cent earned between HK$31 and HK$35.
98 per cent of workers say inflation has hindered them from improving their living conditions and 77 per cent hopes the government would review the minimum wage amount every year.
Source: The Standard
Photo: See-ming Lee, Flickr
