Letters | It shouldn’t take a tragedy for Hong Kong to treat domestic workers fairly
Readers discuss the wave of support for migrant helpers in the wake of the Tai Po fire, professionals who volunteer their skills, and the educational value of play
While I am sure that many who espouse these views mean well, should it really take a pandemic, an abuse case or a horrific fire to push migrant domestic worker causes to the fore? Yes, Alcaraz deserves high praise, but why should rightful pathways to residency be granted only when one suffers immense and irrevocable harm?
In 2014 and 2022, beautiful words were generously spoken: about how Sulistyaningsih represented a “tipping point”, how Omicron exposed the lop-sided power dynamics that confine migrant workers to a second-class existence, and how the push for equity for migrant workers is long overdue. But has anything actually changed?
As we praise Alcaraz and mourn all the lives lost, who will care for the dozens of elderly workers, forgoing their own desperately needed time to grieve and process their own trauma? As we process, rebuild and move on from this incident, who will remain stuck with a meagre HK$5,100 minimum wage, barred from equal pathways to residency, and subjected to widespread racial and class discrimination?