The government announced that the statutory minimum wage for foreign domestic workers will rise by 2.35%, from $5,100 to $5,220 a month, applicable to all foreign domestic worker contracts signed from tomorrow. Contracts signed today or earlier at $5,100 may still be submitted to the Immigration Department for processing by the 30th of this month. The meal allowance in lieu of free meals remains at not less than $1,236 a month.
Why read this: The announcement specifies the extent of the increase, the effective arrangements and the deadline for submitting contracts, allowing employers to check directly whether their contracts fall within the transitional arrangements.
The government and MTR Corporation have reached a settlement arrangement for delays to the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link Hong Kong section and the Shatin-Central Link, with MTR paying the government $2.25 billion for delays during the high-speed rail's construction stage. For the Shatin-Central Link, MTR has proactively borne about $2.8 billion in additional expenditure in the past, and the two sides have agreed not to make mutual claims for the delays. The Transport and Logistics Bureau said mechanisms to strengthen railway project governance, monitoring and cost control have been implemented, and new railway projects will see MTR bear risks such as cost overruns.
Why read this: Sets out MTR's payment of $2.25 billion to the government for the high-speed rail delay and the arrangement whereby about $2.8 billion has already been borne for the Shatin-Central Link, together with the original and actual opening dates and cost increases for both projects, allowing the responsibility amounts to be checked item by item.
Translation is not available yet. Showing the Traditional Chinese version.
Secretary for Security Chris Tang chaired the third meeting of the Cross-departmental Task Force on Illegal Workers on 30 September, adding five departments including the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau as members, and designating catering and cleaning, renovation and construction, retail, food delivery, transport and logistics, and tourism as key sectors for cracking down on illegal workers. The task force will invite the industries to nominate anti-illegal worker ambassadors to gather intelligence, and advance measures including online patrols and a review of penalties.
Why read this: The report lists the departments added to the task force and the six key sectors, allowing readers to check whether their own industry is on the crackdown list, and understand the task force's background.
Translation is not available yet. Showing the Traditional Chinese version.
The Government said recruitment by public healthcare institutions has always adhered to the principle of giving priority to hiring locally trained personnel, and issued an explanation amid recent discussions on nurse manpower planning and employment. The Hospital Authority's nurse attrition rate has fallen from a peak of 10.9% to 5.4%, but there are still about 3,200 nursing vacancies. About 50 registered nurses at the Hospital Authority were trained outside Hong Kong, accounting for less than 0.2% of the Hospital Authority's total nursing workforce.
Why read this: The release lists figures including about 3,200 nursing vacancies at the Hospital Authority, a 99% hiring rate and non-locally trained nurses accounting for less than 0.2%, allowing readers to check the ratio between locally trained nurses and public-sector demand.
The Department of Health will amend the Code of Practice for Licensed Private Healthcare Institutions, requiring injectable and infusion products used in institutions to fall into three categories: registered or exempted medicinal products, human organ or tissue products, and medical devices listed by MDACS. The code is planned to be gazetted in the fourth quarter of this year and take effect one month after gazettal, while the MDACS-related requirements will take effect on 1 March next year.
Why read this: The content sets out three permitted categories of products, phased effective dates and licensing requirements for beauty parlours providing medical services, allowing licensees and the industry to check their own arrangements.