AL | Clarifications needed on minimum wage rules

Authorities have been advised to further clarify the two different standards stipulated in the minimum wage law bill for cleaners and security guards. Many still believe that the act only mandates the payment of MOP30 per hour, said Cheang Chi Keong, president of the Legislative Assembly’s Third Standing Committee, after a meeting yesterday morning.
The committee head said it was necessary for the officials to clarify the difference between the monthly and hourly payments through a more widespread promotion of the bill. Cheang claimed that employees paid monthly may also be granted some other staff perks and welfare that are not enjoyed by part-time workers.
Apart from two other supporting laws to be tabled later regulating the property management, Cheang said that the officials had planned to formulate another law safeguarding part-time workers’ rights at work. All of those moves were intended to correspond to the law, which would be extended to other industries in the city before 2018.
Asked if it was left to employees to decide which type of employment to take, Cheang failed to address the answer directly. He said that most would be forward-looking enough to go for the full-time option for their company’s sake, but some will still opt for other employment arrangements to reduce expenditure.
“Without the regulations, some employers might only make all employees part-time to avoid giving their staff the welfare that comes with monthly pay,” said the policymaker, before adding that they might also be risking losing full-time workers, who usually contribute more to companies in the long run.
According to the official estimate, approximately 6,200 workers would benefit from the minimum wage law, while 13,000 working in other industries would have to wait three more years to enjoy the same rights. Staff reporter