‘Irresponsible’: Hong Kong congee chain slammed for asking government to pay workers
Lawmaker, fellow union member also say government safety net may not fully cover unpaid wages after abrupt closure of 33-year-old chain
Referring workers to labour authorities to claim unpaid wages is “irresponsible”, a lawmaker and a fellow unionist have said, slamming the owners of a three-decade-old Hong Kong congee restaurant chain that closed abruptly and left more than 100 employees in limbo.
They also said ahead of a staff meeting on Friday that the government’s safety net might not fully cover the unpaid wages owed to workers of the Ocean Empire Food Shop chain.
The Labour Department said more than 100 workers had sought its help over HK$15 million in unpaid wages.
A fund set up to protect unpaid workers in the event of a company closing down was subject to abuse as businesses were vulnerable in the economic downturn, a union leader also said.
According to data recently shared with the Legislative Council, the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund’s deficit is expected to reach more than HK$110 million (US$14 million) in the 2025-26 financial year.
The Eating Establishment Employees General Union said Ocean Empire had also failed to pay into employees’ Mandatory Provident Funds (MPFs), even when the amounts were deducted from their salaries between January and March, on top of up to HK$10 million the company owed in unpaid wages.
“Deliveroo had better arrangements when it announced its April 7 closure in early March, even though [the riders] were not employees,” legislator Lam Chun-sing, chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions, told a radio programme.