MTR freezes salaries for the second consecutive year

MTR staff members will see their salaries frozen for the second consecutive year, while some eligible workers will be awarded special bonuses.

Last year was the first year MTR froze salaries since 2003.

For non-management level workers, the amount of bonuses depends on their performance. Workers graded as level four and five will see their bonuses calculated as their salary times 1.48 and 2.02 respectively, while workers graded as level three will be awarded an extra month's salary as bonus. 

Jacob Kam Chak-pui, chief executive officer of MTR Corp, sent a letter to all employees. He said that the a HK$4.8 billion loss was recorded and the ridership fell by 31.5 percent in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Kam added freezing salaries aims to exercise caution, and the recovery of business still faces pressure from reduced numbers of international and Mainland travelers.

The priority of the corporation is to keep people's jobs and to ensure the financial sustainability of the business, Kam pointed out.

Hong Kong Federation of Railway Trade Unions said they are disappointed to see this arrangement as MTR ignored the demand of workers and still decided to freeze salaries. The arrangement will affect the morale of staff members as well, they added.

Lam Wai-keung, chairman of the federation, said the workload of staffers will only increase as the Tuen Ma Line fully commences service, and the arrangement means workers will see their salaries reduced under inflation.