Licence renewal of employment agency refused
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"Under the Employment Ordinance, the Commissioner for Labour may refuse to issue or renew, or may revoke, a licence of an EA, among other reasons, if the person operating or intending to operate the EA is an undischarged bankrupt, has contravened any provision of Part XII of the said Ordinance, or if he is considered not a fit and proper person to operate an EA," the spokesman said.
This is the fourth revocation of/refusal to renew an EA licence this year. Previously an EA named Java Maid Recruitment Service (located in Causeway Bay) had its licence revoked after the licensee was convicted of overcharging a job seeker, and a further two EAs named Sunday Employment Agency (located in Prince Edward) and Chun Hing Agency (located in Sham Shui Po) also had their licences revoked for contravening the Code of Practice for EAs by luring employers of foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) to recover their fees paid by deducting part of wages from FDHs and withholding passports from FDHs without reasonable excuse respectively, and therefore the licensees were considered not fit and proper to operate an EA.
The LD reminds operators of EAs to conduct their business in compliance with the law and the Code, which was promulgated on January 13 this year. The Code sets out the salient legislative requirements which EA operators must observe in operating their businesses, as well as the minimum standards which the Commissioner expects of EA licensees. The Employment Agencies Administration (EAA) will conduct regular and surprise inspections to EAs and issue warning letters to EAs on contraventions of the Code and for rectification of irregularities detected. If an EA fails to comply with the Code despite warnings, the Commissioner may consider revoking or refusing to renew the EA's licence on grounds that the licensee concerned is not a fit and proper person to operate an EA under section 53(1)(c)(v) of the EO.
For enquiries or complaints about unlicensed operation, overcharging job seekers' commission by EAs and the Code, please call the EAA of the LD at 2115 3667, or visit its office at Unit 906, 9/F, One Mong Kok Road Commercial Centre, 1 Mong Kok Road, Kowloon.
Ends/Monday, October 16, 2017
Issued at HKT 18:32
Issued at HKT 18:32
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