Migrant domestic workers, led by the Asian Migrants Coordinating Body (AMCB), rallied at the Labour Department on Thursday, demanding a living wage of HK$6,172 and submitting a petition with 4,000 signatures opposing a proposed wage freeze.
The protest follows weeks of organizing by the AMCB, which gathered support from migrant workers, local advocates, and civil society groups. The petition condemns the wage freeze as an unfair burden on workers already struggling with what they describe as “slave wages.”
Rosidha, AMCB spokesperson, criticized the Hong Kong government’s approach to the city’s economic challenges, arguing that migrant workers should not bear the brunt of the crisis. “Migrant domestic workers do not deserve a wage freeze. Instead, a livable wage must be given,” she said. “The economic crisis should not be blamed on us. The government must take responsibility.”
Rosidha also challenged the Quadripartite Alliance for Harmonious Employment Practices (QAHEP), which has supported the wage freeze as a solution to economic pressures, including rising household debt. “A wage freeze is not a solution—it will create more problems,” she said. “Low wages already force workers into loans. Freezing wages will only deepen this cycle.”
The AMCB is also pushing for migrant domestic workers to be included under Hong Kong’s statutory minimum wage, a policy that currently excludes them. Rosidha emphasized the need for systemic change, stating, “Hong Kong calls itself Asia’s World City, but that means nothing if migrant workers are treated poorly. We will keep fighting for a living wage and better working conditions.”
The Labour Department has not yet responded to the petition or the AMCB’s demands. The protest underscores ongoing tensions over labor rights in Hong Kong, where migrant domestic workers, primarily women from Southeast Asia, form a critical part of the workforce but often face low pay and challenging conditions.
