‘All for nothing’: Hong Kong workers complain of losing jobs to imported labour

After being forced to quit, Har Cheng* went to the Hong Kong food stall she had worked at for almost two decades, only to find out she had been replaced by imported labourers from mainland China.

Feeling angry and mistreated, Cheng, 67, who helped wash dishes, clean tables and sell beers at the traditional dai pai dong, said her loyalty over the years had all been “for nothing”.

“I thought I just had a few more years to work before retirement, and the stall had at least 28 workers … How could I expect I would be the first to be targeted?” Cheng said.

Over the past six months, Cheng and 200 other restaurant workers have reported being sacked and replaced by labourers who came to the city via an import scheme, according to the Eating Establishment Employees General Union.

Unionists and human rights advocacy group the Society for Community Organisation raised concerns about the impact of the scheme ahead of Labour Day on May 1, saying they had heard and received reports from local workers who were replaced by imported labourers.

To combat the city’s manpower shortage, the government in September 2023 allowed employers to bring in unlimited unskilled or low-skilled workers from the mainland for 26 new job types, including waiters, junior chefs, and hospitality and sales staff in catering.