Ocean Park spreads the joy to helpers

The Labour Department is giving out up to 12,000 Ocean Park tickets to some 3,000 families - including their domestic helpers - as part of the "Happy Hong Kong" campaign.

This came as a 38-year-old Filipino domestic helper fell to her death while cleaning the windows at her employer's 18th-floor flat in Tower 6 of the Manhattan Hill housing estate on Po Lun Street in Lai Chi Kok on Monday.

Cynthia Tellez, general manager of service provider Mission for Migrant Workers, said the death was avoidable especially as window cleaning above ground level has been banned in the Standard Employment Contract since 2017 following a spate of horrific accidental falls by helpers. The only exception is if there are grilles installed.

The incident on Monday is believed to be the first this year, but the Labour Department said it does not keep statistics despite the new clause.

Tellez said the clause was "toothless" as guidelines on its implementation were not spelled out nor do both the Immigration and Labour departments monitor if the contract is being adhered to. "It's worrying that one out of 10 of those whom we assisted in 2022 reported being made to clean windows on high floors," Tellez said.

On the free Ocean Park tickets, the "Thankful Week for Families with Foreign Domestic Helpers" campaign will last until May 28.

Foreign domestic helpers and their employers are invited to record a 30-second video of themselves to win entry to the theme park. Each household will be offered four admission tickets, two each for helpers and the employers. Lots will be drawn if more than 3,000 households join.

The video can be in Cantonese, Putonghua or English and the faces of both helpers and employers or other family members are required.

Participants must upload the video online and ensure it can be viewed by the department.

The video link and personal information including the names, email addresses and phone numbers of the participants should be sent to the department by filling in an online form.

An automated confirmation email with a reference number will be sent to the registered email address after the form has been successfully submitted.

The reference number of those who receive the tickets will be shown on the event webpage on June 16 and ticket winners will also be notified individually by email, which includes a QR code of e-ticket, by July 9.

stacy.shi@singtaonewscorp.com

maryann.benitez@singtaonewscorp.com