Help coming in last quarter

The first batch of imported construction workers are expected to start working in the last quarter of the year, says Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho. And construction bosses can start applying to bring in workers for 29 positions from Monday.

Linn expected the dormitory for mainland workers in Yuen Long to open in October.

She said yesterday that after discussing with a task force formed by employers, employees and training institution representatives from the construction sector, the labor import scheme will cover 29 skills and 18 technicians' positions.

"The imported labor will mostly work in public projects," she said.

Linn said applications would be accepted on a quarterly basis and hoped that employers could apply according to their actual needs.

The first application period is from Monday to August 16, with Linn hoping the first batch of applications could be processed within two months.

Under the scheme, employers need to build accommodation for imported construction workers either next to a site or arrange for them to live in centralized dormitories.

One such dormitory will be set up at a former isolation facility in Tam Mei, Yuen Long, with a capacity of 8,000.

Lee said the Construction Industry Council, which is responsible for managing the dormitories, has started working on the site.

Authorities last month announced to import 20,000 construction and transport workers from the mainland and overseas to ease a local manpower crunch. The cap on imported construction workers is 12,000.

Application for imported aviation and transport staff will also open on Monday, with the quota for the aviation industry and public light bus or coach drivers capped at 6,300 and 1,700, respectively.

Employers can hire one nonlocal worker for every two full-time Hongkongers.

And for every nonlocal construction worker, employers will be levied HK$400 monthly for "employee retraining."

That money goes to a fund for the Employees Retraining Board to provide new skills to locals.

As for aviation staff, the Airport Authority will arrange daily cross-border transportation for workers, for which employers will be charged a HK$400 monthly transport fee for each imported worker.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu reiterated that importing labor will not be a long-term arrangement and the rights and interests of local workers will be given priority.

Lee was asked by Federation of Trade Unions lawmaker Kwok Wai-keung at the second Chief Executive's Interactive Exchange Question and Answer Session at the Legislative Council yesterday.

Kwok said the labor sector and community did not reach a consensus on the importation of labor and the government did not consult any trade union though it had consulted 89 organizations before expanding the talent list in May.

He said the impact on local employees must be minimized.

Lee said while priority will be given to local workers, the government will also strengthen their training.

"Our legislation protects the rights and interests of all workers. But other welfare benefits or training ... will definitely be tilted in favor of local workers."