The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, today (January 5) started his visit in Singapore and took a closer look at the latest continuing education initiatives and protection of rights and benefits of digital platform workers.

     Mr Sun first paid a courtesy call on the Minister for Social and Family Development of Singapore, Mr Masagos Zulkifli, this morning. They exchanged views on welfare policy priorities for the rapidly ageing populations of the two places, including the current-term Government's vision in building a caring and inclusive Hong Kong, and challenges both places face along the path to normalcy after COVID-19 and how to assist the disadvantaged.

     In the afternoon, Mr Sun and his delegation visited SkillsFuture Singapore. They were briefed on its latest programmes to support lifelong learning, training and upskilling of employees in their early or mid-career, the middle-aged and the elderly, together with public-private partnerships with employers and training bodies. Mr Sun was also introduced to the Jobs-Skills Insights initiative, which regularly updates the community on the necessary skills and jobs in demand for the new economy. He said that Hong Kong would draw on the practical experience of other places with an aim of finding and nurturing talents for the needs of economic and social developments.

     Mr Sun and the other officials then met with representatives of the "Tripartite Workgroup on Representation for Platform Workers" co-chaired by the Singapore Government, the National Trades Union Congress and the Singapore National Employers Federation, to keep abreast of its work, including formulating a framework to engage platform workers in discussion with platform companies on labour relations amid the gig economy. Noting the emerging developments of digital platforms and variations in service models locally and abroad, Mr Sun said that the task force established by the Labour Department would study the policies of protecting rights and benefits of platform workers in various places and conduct statistical surveys to better understand the situation in Hong Kong, before mapping out the way forward and the strategy as appropriate.

     Mr Sun had a dinner gathering with Hong Kong people working in Singapore this evening to learn about their living and working conditions. He will continue his visit in Singapore tomorrow (January 6).

Ends/Thursday, January 5, 2023
Issued at HKT 19:19

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