“Earning bread is what gives you dignity, and if we do not give our people, our men and women, the ability to earn bread, this is a social injustice in that place, in that nation, on that continent,” said Pope Francis during his catechesis on St. Joseph the Worker. As a humble carpenter, St. Joseph serves as an example of the dignity of hard work that today is often denied to those in need, Pope Francis said.
In the lead-up to International Workers’ Day on May 1, the Church reiterates its solidarity with those whose sweat and toil make our lives safer and better. This day commemorates workers’ struggles against rights violations in the past and also raises awareness about unjust wages, poor working conditions, and child labour in the present.
It is common for many people to work for pitiful earnings, or even without a salary, not for eight hours, but for 12 or 14 hours a day. The Church also recognises that the abuse of workers, trafficking of people into forced labour and violation of human dignity are not stories of the past. Every Labour Day reminds one of one’s responsibility to respect workers’ rights and promote human dignity.
The Hong Kong Catholic Commission for Labour Affairs has constantly been campaigning for workers’ rights, minimum wages and an equitable working environment. Although the government ensures a minimum wage for workers, it is often inadequate to meet living expenses. The Statutory Minimum Wage [SMW] is one of the most critical policies to alleviate working poverty, but many social surveys over the years reveal that it is becoming less and less protective of workers.
When the SMW was first implemented in 2011 at $28 per hour, 180,000 employees benefited from it. However, surveys reveal that at the last minimum wage review in 2022, the SMW was set at $40 per hour, but only 70,000 employees in Hong Kong will benefit from it.
The Diocesan Commission expressed its disappointment at the government’s decision to set the SMW at $40. According to the Commission’s statement, SMW must not fall below $50.70. In addition, the Commission recommends that the government revise the SMW annually rather than once in two years as being done now. It will help maintain purchasing power, basic living standards, and development needs of households by adjusting the income of grassroots employees on a timely and reasonable basis.
In another survey conducted among young people by Lingnan University’s Institute of Policy Studies and the Centre for Cultural Research and Development, the researchers examined the rising cost of living in Hong Kong and the SMW. The survey focused on working students working part-time to finance their education and living expenses. According to their findings, the SMW should rise to HK$71.60 to meet the current living costs.
Pope Francis’s message must awaken at least the Catholic employers to treat their employees with respect and stop being satisfied with paying SMW: “We must give everyone the ability to earn bread because this earning gives them dignity. Work is what makes a person similar to God because, with work, one is a creator, capable of creating, … including creating a family to keep going.” jose, CMF
