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The following is issued on behalf of the Provisional Minimum Wage Commission:
The Provisional Minimum Wage Commission (PMWC) held its third meeting today (September 21). PMWC was briefed on the experiences of other places in implementing a minimum wage. It also discussed and agreed on the plan of preliminary meetings with stakeholders in the fourth quarter of 2009.
Members noted that the minimum wage systems in most places studied, such as the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, were built on the concept of "wage floor" with a view to forestalling excessively low wages without losing sight of the impact of minimum wage on overall economy and employment. When setting and reviewing the minimum wage level, most places studied adopted similar standards by taking into account a basket of indicators such as economic situation, wage level, labour productivity, employment situation, inflation, economic competitiveness, etc.
The briefing helped enhance the understanding of the Members on the experiences of other places in implementing a minimum wage. PMWC will also undertake a one-week study mission to France and the United Kingdom in late September to solicit first-hand practical experiences and views of the statutory bodies responsible for advising the respective Governments on the level of minimum wage, relevant government organisations, major employers' associations and trade unions. It is believed that such in-depth study on the two disparate minimum wage systems through direct dialogues and experience sharing would be a valuable reference for the future work of PMWC.
Members also agreed that PMWC would organise in the fourth quarter of 2009 preliminary meetings with interested parties as well as visits to low-paying sectors and small and medium-sized enterprises which are likely to be more affected by the implementation of Statutory Minimum Wage (SMW), so as to understand their concerns.
The PMWC chairperson, Ms Teresa Cheng, said after the meeting, "The PMWC will continue its endeavours to adopt an evidence-based approach in advising the Government on the initial SMW rate with a view to ensuring a sensible balance between forestalling excessively low wages and minimising the loss of low-paid jobs, while sustaining Hong Kong's economic growth and competitiveness."
Ends/Monday, September 21, 2009
Issued at HKT 14:23
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