More than 60 percent grassroots workers are underemployed

The Society for Community Organization criticized that the Employment Support Scheme launched by the government fails to benefit grassroots workers, as a new survey shows 63 percent of grassroots workers not having enough work to do.

The organization interviewed 336 grassroots citizens from August 4 to 14 this year. 

One-fifth of grassroots citizens surveyed said they are unemployed, and 10 percent of them are taking no-pay-leave.

Around 60 percent of the grassroots citizens said the government's one-off subsidies are not enough to cover their expenditure amid pandemic.

More than half of the respondents, 57 percent, said they do not know if their employers have applied for the Employment Support Scheme. Almost all, about 90 percent, said they do not know if they will are benefited from the scheme.

The Society for Community Organization said some employers requested their staff to take no-pay-leave, even when employers have received a subsidy from the Employment Support Scheme.

The organization urged the government to provide subsidies for grassroots workers directly and allow workers with temporary jobs to be eligible for the Employment Support Scheme.

Currently, the Employment Support Scheme is eligible for employers who are participating in the Mandatory Provident Fund, employers who have set up MPF-exempted Occupational Retirement Schemes Ordinance Schemes, as well as Self-employed persons who have an "MPF SEP account."