Int’l Domestic Workers Day: NGO calls for HK$6,172 min. wage and scrapping of compulsory ‘live-in’ arrangement

Hong Kong's foreign domestic workers are facing calls for improved living and working conditions, including a higher minimum wage and the end of mandatory live-in arrangements. The Asian Migrants’ Coordinating Body (AMCB) has urged the government to raise the minimum wage from HK$5,100 to HK$6,172 per month.

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Abolish the mandatory live-in arrangement, the restrictive two-week visa rule, and malicious accusations of ‘job-hopping’ that trap workers in unsafe environments and escalate the violence. These restrictive and discriminatory policies leave workers highly vulnerable to physical and sexual abuse

The NGO also demands the abolition of the "two-week rule," which forces domestic workers to leave Hong Kong within two weeks if their contract ends. The AMCB argues that these restrictive policies, along with accusations of "job-hopping," trap workers in unsafe environments and increase their vulnerability to physical and sexual abuse.

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Under the economic and political crisis migrant domestic workers have to survive under the sub-liveable wages and the food allowances that fail to cover basic costs of living in Hong Kong and support families back home

Many workers report being denied dignity and fair treatment, with some forced to sleep in cramped or inadequate spaces like kitchen floors or closets. This lack of privacy and poor conditions exacerbate mental fatigue, physical ailments, and psychological distress. The AMCB, a coalition of domestic worker groups, warns that these conditions amount to "modern-day slavery hiding behind closed doors."

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some workers are forced to sleep on kitchen floors, in corridors, or in modified closets, severely exacerbating mental fatigue and a lack of privacy and developing physical ailments or psychological distress

While the Labour Department stated its commitment to protecting workers' rights and offers a 24-hour hotline and free advice, the AMCB's demands highlight ongoing concerns for the more than 360,000 migrant domestic workers from various Asian countries who are vital to Hong Kong households.

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denied dignity, equal, fair, and decent treatment as workers and human beings