Chief Executive in Council adopts recommendation on Statutory Minimum Wage rate
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The Government will publish the Minimum Wage Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 3) Notice 2023 in the Gazette this Friday (January 13) and table it in the Legislative Council (the LegCo) on January 18. Subject to the approval of the LegCo, the revised SMW rate will come into force on May 1 this year, Labour Day.
The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, is pleased with the MWC's accomplishment of the important and challenging mission of reviewing the SMW rate. He paid warm tribute to the Chairperson of the MWC, Ms Priscilla Wong, and all MWC members for their untiring efforts and sterling contributions.
Mr Sun said, "After careful consideration, the Government is of the view that the MWC has ably discharged its statutory function of reviewing the SMW rate after thorough and balanced deliberation, and the recommendation of the MWC has struck an appropriate balance between the objectives of forestalling excessively low wages and minimising the loss of low-paid jobs, while giving due regard to sustaining Hong Kong's economic growth and competitiveness. The Government accepts the recommendation of the MWC, and considers that the new rate will be conducive to the overall interest and development of Hong Kong."
The "2022 Report of the Minimum Wage Commission" has been uploaded to the MWC's website (www.mwc.org.hk).
The Government will also publish in the Gazette on January 13, and table in the LegCo on January 18, the Employment Ordinance (Amendment of Ninth Schedule) Notice 2023. The Notice amends the monthly monetary cap on recording the total number of hours worked. An employer will be exempted from the requirement of recording 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 $16,300 (currently $15,300) per month. In tandem 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 this year.
Ends/Tuesday, January 10, 2023
Issued at HKT 15:00
Issued at HKT 15:00
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