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The statutory minimum wage, with its initial hourly rate of $28, will come into force on May 1, setting a new precedent in Hong Kong's labour protection.
In an interview with news.gov.hk, Senior Labour Officer (Statutory Minimum Wage) Queenie Tang said the statutory minimum wage provides a wage floor to protect grassroots employees.
The principle of launching statutory minimum wage is to strike a reasonable balance between forestalling excessively low wages and minimising the loss of low-paid jobs while sustaining Hong Kong's economic growth and competitiveness, she added.
The story appears in text and video versions on the news.gov.hk website today (April 29).
Ends/Friday, April 29, 2011
Issued at HKT 11:23
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