NEWS – 117 Student Activists Lobby Gov Committee to Limit Helper Working Hours 1


Student activists at International Christian School in Sha Tin have submitted 117 campaign postcards to the Standard Working Hours Committee.

students take action

The young justice advocates worked with HK Helpers Campaign to lobby the government committee to include domestic workers in Hong Kong’s upcoming legislation limiting working hours. Currently, helpers – like all local workers – can be made to work unlimited hours. Many domestic workers are indeed expected to be ‘on call’ 24/7.

sample letter

It is feared that, just as with the recent minimum wage legislation, helpers will be ignored or exempted from the new rules. See campaign point 2.

The SPEAK team at International Christian School

The SPEAK team at International Christian School

SPEAK is a Christian activist group first founded in London. Having expanded to other parts of the world, its purpose is “to pray upon issues of injustice and to find ways in taking action in solving these problems.” After hearing about the plight of Erwiana Sulistyaningsih, a helper who was tortured by her employer, the group decided to make submissions to the public consultation committee. They also showed campaign videos and are working with the school’s choir to bring further awareness on the subject of helper issues and raise money for relevant NGOs.

student activists lobby governemnt

The committee is now summarising and analysing the views collected before they present their findings to the government. Submissions are no longer being sought, but readers may help in other ways through the HK Helpers Campaign action centre.

  • rebecca

    thank you guys for understanding our flight here in HK, kudos to you all!! More power and more success in all your future endeavors!!!