Filipino maids get pay hike in Hong Kong -- Palace

By Christine Avendaño
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Posted date: April 08, 2008

MANILA, Philippines -- Here’s good news for Filipino domestic HERE’S helpers in Hong Kong.

Malacañang on Tuesday announced that the domestic helpers could expect an increase in their monthly wages in June.

Acting Labor Secretary Marianito Roque, who accompanied President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in her working visit to the former British Crown colony last week, said that Hong Kong would announce a “moderate” increase in the wage rates of foreign domestic workers not later than June this year.

Roque met with Permanent Secretary for Labour & Welfare Matthew Cheung of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region at the end of the three-day visit.

Roque explained that Hong Kong officials would just be able to determine the amount of the increase of the salaries of foreign maids upon the release of statistical data on consumer price index, gross domestic product and other economic indicators at the end of the month.

But Roque said that Cheung would inform the Philippine Consulate in Hong Kong about the wage increase a few minutes before government officials announce the good news.

As of 2007, he said there are 125,000 Filipino workers in the former Crown Colony representing 50 percent of the household workers population. The other half are Indonesian workers.

The present salary of foreign domestic workers is Hk$3,480 a month, which is HK$270 less than the salary in 2003.