Hong Kong authorities check MPF payments after Michelin-starred eatery closes

Hong Kong’s pension authority is looking into HK$100,000 (US$12,740) in missing payments for 20 employees from the Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant Xin Dau Ji, following the chain’s abrupt closure of its Kowloon Bay branch on Wednesday.

The Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority said on Friday that it was pursuing the failed contributions in April and May.

Lawmaker Kwok Wai-keung confirmed the restaurant’s closure on July 9 and that about 20 affected staff had reached out to the Labour Department for help on Friday afternoon.

He said that the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund could not cover missing payments for the Mandatory Provident Fund and that if companies decided to shut down, they should not leave their staff bearing losses.

“I urge the industry to stop employing foreign labour to protect ours. If companies plan to do so, authorities should first make sure that workers who are laid off due to sudden closures are employed.”

The Labour Department said it had pressed the restaurant’s employer to settle unpaid wages while calling for affected workers to register themselves for support.

The shutdown of the branch at MegaBox shopping centre in Kowloon Bay marked the exit of the entire chain that once boasted six outlets at its peak in the city.