Imported labor’s gripes over long and intense work draw criticism amid job concerns

Imported workers have voiced complaints about long hours and intense work in Hong Kong’s food and beverage industry on social media, sparking criticism from local netizens amid a rising unemployment rate in the city.

A mainland netizen who posted on the platform Xiaohongshu stated that he works in a food processing factory, with daily shifts exceeding 12 hours during peak seasons.

The poster also stressed his lack of rights to holidays and overtime compensation, believing that the intense work and high demands contribute to a shortage of local employees, despite the decent salary.

In response, local netizens argued that both local and imported labor face the same poor treatment, contending that Hong Kong workers also struggle with long hours and ill-mannered managers. Others expressed concern that the continued influx of imported labor would further limit employment opportunities for locals.

These online debates coincide with official statistics released on Tuesday, which showed Hong Kong’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 3.7 percent in the three months through July. A more distinct increase was recorded in the food and beverage service activities sector.

The influx of imported labor is a result of the government’s Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme, introduced in September 2023, which has so far approved the recruitment of over 50,000 workers to the city.