Hong Kong contractor ‘promises to settle HK$9 million in unpaid wages next week’

A Hong Kong contractor has promised to pay part of the HK$13 million (US$1.67 million) in wages owed to 250 construction workers hired by a subcontractor next week after some of the labourers held a protest at a construction site, a union has said.

On Wednesday morning, several dozen workers gathered at the Lohas Park Phase 12 construction site in Tseung Kwan O to demand payment from Gammon Construction, the project’s main contractor.

Images shared by the Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union showed the entrance to the site had been blocked off with barriers, including some bearing slogans, while workers sat on nearby walkways.

Gammon told the Post that it had earlier agreed to pay the wages by the end of May, but the workers, who had been hired by the subcontractor, on Tuesday had “unexpectedly” demanded the date be brought forward.

Ryan Ng Wai-leung, the union’s rights and complaints officer, said 250 workers had not received their wages for between January and April, amounting to HK$13 million in total.

He said the labourers held the protest to put pressure on the contractor.