Wage Protection Movement

Since we launched the Wage Protection Movement (WPM) for cleaning workers and security guards in October 2006, there has been a gradual shift in the community's attitude towards a minimum wage, marked by a greater empathy and appreciation of wage protection for grassroots workers and corporate social responsibility. We would like to thank wholeheartedly those trade associations, enterprises, employers and owners' corporations that have supported and participated in the WPM. We have completed the overall review of the WPM in October 2008. Despite increases in both the number and proportion of workers benefiting from the WPM compared with two years ago, the situation, on the whole, is unsatisfactory. There are indeed limits in promoting wage protection through voluntary participation. Therefore, the Movement has come to a close starting from 15 October 2008, and the Government will honour its pledge to proceed with the legislative work for introduction of a statutory minimum wage.

***Since the WPM has already come to a close, the following information is for reference only***

Details of WPM

Under WPM, corporations undertake to offer their cleaning workers and security guards wages not lower than the relevant average market rates as stipulated in the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD)'s Quarterly Report of Wage and Payroll Statistics (Quarterly Report). They should also enter into written employment contracts with these workers under their direct employ, and these workers should be suitably compensated if they have to work beyond contractual working hours. The same practices also apply to their contractors and subcontractors providing cleansing and guarding services.

Relevant average market rates as stipulated in the Quarterly Report
According to C&SD's figures, the average wage rates of cleaning workers and security guards as at June 2008 (the latest figures) were as follows:

Note:

1. If the contractual working hours per day and working days per month of the security guards and cleaning workers are different from those published in the C&SD's Quarterly Report, enterprises/employers should pay these workers monthly wages calculated on a pro rata basis.
2. If security guards are employed under 3-shifts or their normal hours of work is 8 hours or less per day, the wage rate of "3-shifts" should apply. For those employed under 2-shifts (i.e. 11 hours of work plus one hour of meal break or 12 hours flat), the wage rate of "2-shifts" should apply. For those employed under other arrangements, the wage rate of "overall average" is applicable.

Subcontracting arrangements
Corporations which outsource service contracts (e.g. cleansing and guarding services) should require their contractors and subcontractors to follow the above practices by specifying the terms in the tender document and/or service agreement. If further subcontracting is allowed, the main/principal contractor would be responsible for handling any non-compliance of the sub-contractors in respect of the wage requirement and the use of written employment contract.

Wage protection
Corporations are encouraged to adopt the relevant terms for their direct employees as soon as possible. As for current service contracts, since it may be difficult to vary the conditions of existing contracts, it would be acceptable to apply the relevant terms to new or renewed contracts.

Other relevant information

• Sample Employment Contract
  (Extract from "There is much to gain in using written employment contract") (DOC) and Notes for preparing an employment contract (PDF)
  
• Census and Statistics Department's Quarterly Report of Wage and Payroll Statistics (June 2008)
• A Concise Guide to the Employment Ordinance

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