Hong Kong’s Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Chris Sun Yuk-han, has revealed a sharp increase in complaints alleging that employers have dismissed local workers after hiring imported foreign labour, with the majority of cases concentrated in the catering industry.

Speaking on a radio program Wednesday, Sun said the Labour Department’s hotline received 38 complaints so far this year, of which 24 involved the food and beverage sector.

Hong Kong’s Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Chris Sun Yuk-han. (File)

The main allegations concern employers either terminating local staff or reducing their working hours following the recruitment of imported foreign workers.

Authorities are currently investigating these cases, and Sun stressed that administrative action would be taken if any violations are confirmed.

To address growing public concern, the Labour Department has introduced four new measures under the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme to strengthen protections for local workers’ employment priority.

Among these, the government will intensify inspections in the catering industry and require employers in high-risk sectors to report their hiring records. These steps are designed to ensure that the mandatory 2:1 ratio of local to foreign employees is strictly maintained.

Sun explained that the number of complaints has risen rapidly in the past two weeks, largely because the government has been working with labour unions to encourage affected employees to file formal complaints.

He also announced a new restriction: employers may now apply to import foreign labour only once every six months. This move comes after it was discovered that a quarter of previous applications involved multiple submissions within half a year, with some employers applying as many as six times in that period—a practice Sun described as inappropriate.

A recent report also highlighted discrepancies in job advertisements, such as a vacancy listed as a “retail salesperson” that turned out to be for a fish stall worker.

Union officials have warned that such information gaps hinder effective job matching and make it harder for local workers to find suitable employment.

When asked to comment, Sun said the Labour Department will now publish the names of hiring companies on its website and share this information with unions to improve transparency and job matching.

Addressing concerns about potential abuses—such as so-called “dual contracts” or excessive shifts for foreign workers—Sun emphasized that there are clear regulations governing payment methods and working hours for imported labour. He encouraged anyone who suspects employer violations to report them to the authorities.

(Marco Lam)

HK steps up oversight as employers face claims of replacing locals with foreign workers