Higher minimum wage, clean-energy tech also suggested to city’s leader
Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions President Stanley Ng Chau-pei (seventh from left) submits the party’s advice for the 2023 Policy Address to Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Wednesday. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Greater support for families living in subdivided flats, an independent railway department to reduce incidents, and deeper cross-border collaboration in the hydrogen industry are some of the topics comprising a new set of Policy Address recommendations unveiled by political parties and lawmakers on Wednesday.
In its suggestions for Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s second Policy Address, which will be delivered on Oct 25, the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions proposed increasing the living space standard for subdivided units from the current 7 square meters per person to 11 sq m.
FTU member Bill Tang Ka-piu, who is also a lawmaker, recommends setting up a designated office to better manage subdivided units. Under its coordination, government departments in charge of buildings, fire services, water supplies, and valuation of properties can launch joint operations to improve the quality of subdivided units, with the aim of finishing the complete inspection and registration of subdivided flats by 2025, he said.
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Tang also hopes households with children can get priority when applying for light public housing and transitional housing, with more incentives such as relocation allowances, transportation allowances, rent concessions, and assistance for family members needing to change jobs and schools.
To protect the interests of local workers, the party also proposed that officials should give greater consideration to inflation when increasing the minimum wage of workers.
On May 1, the statutory minimum wage rate was raised from HK$37.5 ($4.80) per hour to HK$40 per hour. Yet after adjusting for an inflation rate of 7.5 percent, the actual value of the wage following the increase is only HK$37.2 per hour, said the FTU.
It recommended that the government conduct a comprehensive review in a timely manner and establish a new baseline for the minimum wage.
The political party roundtable, which is led by lawmaker Michael Tien Puk-sun, stressed the importance of establishing a separate railway department, independent of the Highways Department, within the 2023 legislative year.
In recent years, MTR Corp in Hong Kong has been embroiled in scandals involving substandard construction practices, such as the use of inferior steel reinforcement, as well as of making unauthorized alterations to design specifications. These incidents have sparked great public concern, and reflect the government’s excessive reliance on the MTR’s self-regulation.
Given the heavy workload and the lack of a dedicated team of mechanical and electrical engineering professionals, the Highways Department also fails to effectively oversee the MTR’s operation.
The party also proposed that the new railway department should be led by a director with a background in civil and mechanical engineering, whose task would be to oversee all aspects of railway projects and daily operation.
Lawmaker and engineer Chan Siu-hung called for greater efforts in introducing mature hydrogen transport technologies from nearby Chinese mainland cities such Guangzhou and Foshan.
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He also envisages deeper cross-border collaboration in the hydrogen industry, and suggested allocating a portion of land in the San Tin area, or on the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park in the Lok Ma Chau Loop, to build an inno-tech base for the hydrogen industry.
Lawmaker Doreen Kong Yuk-foon emphasized the need to establish a comprehensive urban renewal framework in the long term and to improve community support for elderly people living at home and their caregivers. She also recommended setting up a dedicated bureau to handle disputes over maintenance payments between divorced couples, in a bid to reduce conflicts and improve the quality of life for divorced families.
