RP to protest $500 levy on Pinay maids in HK

The Philippine government is protesting the planned imposition of HK$500 levy on the monthly salary of an estimated 153,000 Filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong.

Labor attaché Bernardino Julve said Philippine embassy and labor officials based in Hong Kong are set to submit early this week the country’s objection to the proposed levy.

"We are now in the process of coming out with a consolidated paper to be given to the Hong Kong government to show our concern on the proposal," Julve said in an interview.

He also said that Manila’s consul general, Victoria Batacan, was asking Thailand and Indonesia to team up with the Philippines to submit a joint position paper against the proposed levy.

"They are also concerned. We would be seeking colleagues from other embassies. We have to take the lead. We have no choice because we have the most number of domestic workers on the line, Julve said.

He noted that the proposed measure is "discriminatory" and apparently singled out foreign domestic helpers, the lowest paid workers in the former Crown Colony.

Julve added that the proposal is contrary to an existing law exempting Hong Kong nationals earning less than HK$9,000 a month from paying taxes to the government.

"The proposal is illogical," Julve said, noting that even if the levy is approved and implemented, it would not help stop the increasing unemployment rate in Hong Kong.

Julve explained that political parties in Hong Kong made the proposal in a bid to curb the unprecedented 7.9 percent unemployment rate.

According to Julve, Philippine officials are leading efforts to oppose the imposition of tax on the domestic helpers’ minimum monthly salary of HK$3,670.

"In effect the imposition of tax is a wage cut so we (need) to oppose it," he said.

There are about 240,000 foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong. About 60 percent or 153,000 of them are overseas Filipino workers. There are about 75,000 Indonesians and 7,000 Thais also working as domestic helpers in Hong Kong, with smaller numbers from Nepal and Bangladesh.

Julve said Philippine officials are adopting a strategy they implemented last year to stop the Hong Kong government from imposing cuts on the take-home pay of foreign domestic helpers.

Just like last year, Julve said, members of the House committee on labor will be meeting with their counterparts in Hong Kong and other Asian countries with workers deployed in the former Crown Colony to seek concerted action against the imposition of taxes on foreign workers.

He added that Philippine officials have to act immediately because December is considered a critical period when Hong Kong will undertake the annual review on wages and come out with a decision on whether or not to impose the salary tax early next year.

Filipino domestic helpers, other foreign workers, and religious groups in Hong Kong are set to mount a protest action on Dec. 15 to air their strong opposition against the proposal.

Last week, about 400 foreign maids mounted a rally to oppose proposals by several pro-business and pro-Beijing political parties urging the government to impose a levy of up to HK$750 on their minimum monthly wage of HK$3,670.

The maids accused the politicians of being unreasonable for suggesting that revenue from a levy could alleviate Hong Kong’s ballooning budget deficit, which stood at a record HK$70.8 billion at the end of September, halfway through the fiscal year.