PCG urges HK OFWs to follow employment rules
World-Wide House in Central
The Philippine Consulate General (PCG) urged overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Hong Kong to follow the city’s rules against taking up illegal employment.
Consul Paul Saret, head of the PCG-Assistance to Nationals Section, urged Filipino domestic workers to avoid taking jobs other than what is specified in their employment contracts,
“Basically, we would just like to remind everyone that we should be mindful when we are abroad that we should follow the law of our host country,” Saret said in an interview.
“They might say that their intentions are good and they only want to earn an extra income but since (Hong Kong) has rules against illegal employment, we should follow it,” he said.
“We cannot fault the authorities here if they enforce the law,” he added.
Saret made the call after a Filipino domestic worker was arrested for selling peanuts and soft drinks on April 1 in Admiralty.
Around lunchtime today (April 19), another domestic worker was arrested at World-Wide House in Central for allegedly working illegally in an ukay-ukay (used clothes) store.
The Filipino woman, who looked like she was in her late 40s or early 50s and was wearing a black t-shirt, was led away by law enforcers in civilian clothes at around 1 p.m. and the store she worked in was closed down. Â The woman was reportedly an overstayer.
“If you are here in Hong Kong, under employment rules, you should only do the work you are allowed to do. Let us just be cooperative and follow the rules of the host country,” Saret said.
On April 4, Eastern Magistrates’ Courts Principal Magistrate Peter Law ordered the Filipino woman caught selling peanuts in Admiralty to pay a fine $200.
“The defendant is a foreign domestic worker caught selling peanuts and soft drinks on her day off to augment her income,” Law said.
Under Hong Kong immigration rules, foreign domestic helper (FDH) are not allowed to take up any other employment, including part-time domestic duties.
The prosecutor said the Filipina was on April 1 after she was seen selling peanuts and soft drinks to other Filipino domestic workers on a footbridge near the Central Government office in Admiralty.
The defendant said she sold peanuts and soft drinks because her mother back in the Philippines was sick and she needed money for her medicines.