Even at a high salary of HK$18,000 a month, it seems like Hongkongers are not willing to take on low-skilled jobs like dishwashing, which netizens have said is because of its harsh conditions and long working hours. However, employers have been using this as an excuse to apply for foreign labour.
For example, a restaurant in Tai Koo Shing originally hired two dishwashers at HK$9,000 a month, but after one person left, the restaurant boss forced the remaining dishwasher to work double the hours at double the salary from 7:00am in the morning to 11:00pm at night for HK$18,000 a month. The overworked worker eventually left as well and the restaurant owner started offering a HK$15,000 monthly salary to hire one dishwasher who can work 16 hours a day.
This has created the false impression that Hongkongers are unwilling to take up low-skilled labour when in actual reality labour advocates have pointed out that there will definitely be workers willing to wash dishes at HK$15,000 a month for a 9-hour workday.
Source: Apple Daily
Photo: Steven Depolo, Flickr
