1999 Country Report on Economic Policy and Trade Practices - Hong Kong Released by the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs U.S. Department of State, March 2000

e. Acceptable Conditions of Work: Aside from a small number of trades and industries in which a uniform wage structure exists, wage levels are customarily fixed by individual agreement between employer and employee and are determined by supply and demand. Some employers provide workers with various kinds of allowances, free medical treatment and free subsidized transport. There is no statutory minimum wage except for foreign domestic workers (US$ 500 per month). To comply with the Sex Discrimination Ordinance, provisions in the Women and Young Persons (Industry) Regulations that had prohibited women from joining dangerous industrial trades and limited their working hours were dropped. Work hours for people aged 15 to 17 in the manufacturing sector remain limited to 8 per day and 48 per week between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. Overtime is prohibited for all persons under the age of 18 in industrial establishments. Employment in dangerous trades is prohibited for youths, except 16 and 17 year old males.

The Labor Inspectorate conducts workplace inspections to enforce compliance with these and health and safety regulations. Worker safety and health has improved, but serious problems remain, particularly in the construction industry. In 1998, a total of 63,526 occupational accidents (43,034 of which are classified as industrial accidents) were reported, of which 68 were fatal. Employers are required under the Employee's Compensation Ordinance to report any injuries sustained by their employees in work-related accidents.

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