A 44-year-old woman, surnamed Law, with covered head, is escorted by police officers for an investigation at her home in Hong Kong, on Jan. 21, 2014, for alleged maid abuse. Hong Kong has vowed to strengthen legal oversight over maid employment agencies following a spate of abuse cases that have caused widespread shock and anger. AP
HONG KONG—Hong Kong has vowed to strengthen legal oversight over maid employment agencies following a spate of abuse cases that have caused widespread shock and anger.
City authorities said they would step up surveillance against unscrupulous agencies and look into increasing penalties against those who take advantage of maids.
The semiautonomous Chinese city is home to nearly 300,000 maids from mainly Southeast Asian countries—predominantly the Philippines and Indonesia—and criticism from rights groups over their treatment is growing.
Earlier this year, the alleged torture of an Indonesian maid by her Hong Kong employer caused uproar, with thousands of helpers taking to the streets to demand justice in January.
Images of the injuries sustained by Erwiana Sulistyaningsih, 22, who was reportedly left unable to walk following eight months of abuse, shocked the Southern Chinese city but campaigners warned such assaults were merely the tip of the iceberg.
A 39-year-old female employer was arrested on suspicion of assault, a police statement said, following reports that she had attacked her maid with a knife.
A spokesperson for the labor department said it would step up surveillance on agencies and show offenders that the government is serious about the issue.
“The Hong Kong government would tackle the issue in a holistic and multipronged manner with various short, medium and long-term measures,” she told AFP.
The spokesperson added that the city’s labor minister, Matthew Cheung, “would not rule out any possibility at this juncture, including the possibility of increasing the penalty” for unscrupulous employment agencies.
Inspections at agencies
While campaigners have called for tougher measures against local agencies, city officials say there is little they can do to stop overseas agencies from taking advantage of maids, many of whom pay large fees to find work in Hong Kong.
“Before helpers come, they are often already indebted because of the hefty fees. We have been expressing our concern to the [Indonesian] government,” Cheung said at a meeting in the city’s parliament on Thursday, media reported.
Among the policies set out, retired police officers will conduct inspections at maid agencies, the South China Morning Post reported.
But the government has insisted on keeping both the two-week and live-in rules, which are extremely unpopular with domestic helpers.
Foreign maids are required by law to live with their employers and also need to leave the city within two weeks after their employment has ended.
Campaigners say the laws leave maids vulnerable to abuse and with little ability to change jobs.
“They still insist on policies being questioned…there is no serious policy reform,” local campaigner Eman Villanueva told AFP.
Foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong by law must be paid at least HK$4,010 ($517) a month, are entitled to free food and accommodation and receive statutory holidays.