Hong Kong transport, catering firms urge government to keep labour import schemes

Transport and catering operators have urged Hong Kong authorities to continue offering labour import schemes to help fill the thousands of vacancies in the workforce, despite some unions calling for the measures to be suspended.

Representatives of minibus and catering companies said the schemes to bring in workers, mainly from mainland China, were also part of a “forward-looking” approach to dealing with the city’s ageing population.

They were responding to calls by some unions to halt two import schemes, after the government cancelled the latest round of applications for migrant workers in the construction sector amid allegations of exploitation.

Winston Yeung Chun-nin, chairman of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades, said the schemes could help improve the business environment.

“We hope the arrival of imported labourers will not only help us fill some positions but also increase Hong Kong’s competitiveness,” he said.