The Chief Executive in Council has adopted the recommendation of the Minimum Wage Commission (MWC) to raise the Statutory Minimum Wage (SMW) rate from its prevailing level of $32.5 per hour to $34.5 per hour, an increase of $2 or 6.2 per cent.

     The Minimum Wage Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 3) Notice 2017 will be published in the Government Gazette this Friday (January 20) and tabled in the Legislative Council (LegCo) on February 8. Subject to the approval of LegCo, the revised SMW rate will come into force on May 1, 2017, the next Labour Day.

     The Acting Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Stephen Sui, paid warm tribute to the Chairperson of the MWC, Mr Jat Sew-tong, SC, and all its members for their hard efforts and sterling contribution in accomplishing the important task of reviewing the SMW rate.

     Mr Sui said, "The Government has carefully considered the report of the MWC and is of the view that the MWC has ably discharged its statutory function of reviewing the SMW rate with reasonable and balanced deliberation."

     He added, "Since the SMW came into effect on May 1, 2011, the earnings of low-income employees have continued to improve. The smooth implementation of the SMW has been attributable to the support of the community. I am also most grateful for the co-operation of employers at large."

     The full text of the "2016 Report of the Minimum Wage Commission" is available at the MWC's website (www.mwc.org.hk).

     The Government will also publish in the Government Gazette on January 20, and table in LegCo on February 8, the Employment Ordinance (Amendment of Ninth Schedule) Notice 2017. The Notice amends the monthly monetary cap on recording the total number of hours worked. An employer will be exempted from the requirement to record the total number of hours worked by an employee in a wage period if wages payable to the employee for that wage period are not less than $14,100 (currently $13,300) per month. To synchronise with the commencement of the revised SMW rate, the revised monetary cap will come into force on the same day on which the revised rate takes effect, that is May 1, 2017.

Ends/Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Issued at HKT 14:00

NNNN