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Transcript of remarks by SLW on enhancing protection of the rights of foreign domestic helpers and their employers
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     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, today (April 24) on enhancing the protection of the rights of foreign domestic helpers and their employers:

Secretary for Labour and Welfare: We are very concerned about the welfare and well-being of foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong and also their employers. We've got 343 000 foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong at the moment, working in nearly 270 000 families. We are approaching the problem on a three-pronged basis. First of all, we have issued a Dos and Don'ts pamphlet, setting out the rights and obligations of all sides, including employers and the helpers themselves and also the employment agencies. At the same time, we have also provided a dedicated website for foreign domestic helpers to enhance transparency so that everybody, no matter inside Hong Kong or outside Hong Kong, can have access to the information which is very important to them. Finally and more importantly, we have also issued a draft Code of Practice for employment agencies. Our objective is to tighten up monitoring of employment agencies to ensure that they do provide reasonable and professional services to Hong Kong employers and for the helpers as well. If the Code of Practice proves to be ineffective after a period of implementation, I won't hesitate to legislate to make them mandatory to ensure that all helpers in Hong Kong and employers are properly and fully protected and that employment agencies are performing properly and also professionally in Hong Kong.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)

Ends/Sunday, April 24, 2016
Issued at HKT 14:49

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