The declaration also backed proposed legislative amendments to the Trade Unions Ordinance, saying the changes would close legal loopholes and safeguard national security,
Lam Chun-sing, chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Union, urged authorities to review the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme, which allows foreign workers to be brought in for 26 job categories.
“Maybe for some job categories, the government should suspend labour importation and only focus on those in which staff shortages are still serious to strike a balance in the interest of protecting local workers,” he said.
For his part, Lee Kwok-keung of the Hong Kong and Kowloon Trades Union Council called for a review of the minimum wage formula to be weighed more in line with GDP growth so that grassroots workers can share in the fruits of economic growth,
Federation of Trade Unions chairman Kingsley Wong also confirmed the unions would not hold traditional Labour Day marches, continuing a trend that started since 2019.
He said the declaration provides a platform for workers to express their opinions and officials to give positive feedback over their demands.