2023年勞工主日聲明
困苦貧窮的僱工，無論是你的弟兄，或是住在你境內，在你城裡寄居的，你都不可欺負他。要當日給他工錢，不可等到日落，因爲他困苦，需要靠工錢過活，免得他因你的緣故求告耶和華，罪就歸於你了。
《申命記》24：14-15 《和合本修訂版》
每年的四月底至五月初，我們都會邀請香港的教會一起慶祝勞工主日。工作是大部分人生活中的重要組成部分。工作令我們得到生活的必需品，同時也讓我們有機會與他人互動，為社會做出貢獻。工作既是一種祝福，也是一種負擔。在勞工主日，我們要感謝上帝讓我們從工作中獲得各樣的益處，並紀念許多為我們工作的人。
今年的勞工主日關注的是香港的清潔工人。雖然清潔工人對香港的樓宇、街道和公園的清潔和環境的健康至為重要，但一般情況，我們都甚少關注他們。
從上年開始，香港基督教工業委員會開始聯繫其中一些清潔工人。我們發現一些清潔公司在疫情期間剝削工人，特別是那些少數族裔的工人。例如，一名少數族裔的清潔工人被強制隔離了20天，但僱主拒絶承認強制隔離的日子為病假，不但沒有支付病假工資，而且還扣除工人約8000元的薪金。僱主說公司需要僱用替工。強制隔離不是工人的決定，而是政府的要求，而且政府也建議僱主將強制隔離的日子視爲病假。此外，公司將政府給工人的特殊補貼私吞了，卻不發給工人。
清潔工人站在抗疫的最前線，應該得到市民尊重。今年，工人提出了五項訴求：
1. 政府特別津貼應給予清潔工人，用於補償人的辛勞；
2. 被強制隔離的工人應得到病假補償；
3. 食環署和勞工署應對私吞政府給工人的特別津貼的公司進行調查；
4. 改善清潔工人休息場所的環境；及
5. 應以工人熟悉的語言發放有關訊息，包括工人的合約。
今年的勞工主日，我們呼籲大家關注香港的清潔工人，肯定他們應有的尊嚴。無論我們處於什麼位置，我們都應該支持他們得到應有的報酬和公平的待遇。聖經《申命記》提醒我們，遵行上帝的誡命是包括關懷工人的。
香港基督教工業委員會
2023年4月30日
Labour Sunday Statement
April 30, 2023
You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your brethren or one of the sojourners who are in your land within your towns; you shall give him his hire on the day he earns it, before the sun goes down for he is poor and sets his heart upon it; lest he cry against you to the Lord, and it be sin on you.
Deut.24,14f.
Each year the Hong Kong churches are invited to celebrate Labour Sunday between the end of April and the beginning of May. Work is a major part of most people’s lives. It provides us with the basic necessities of life. It also gives us the opportunity to interact with others and to contribute to society.Work is both a blessing and a burden. On Labour Sunday be thank God for the benefits we derive from work and remember the many people who work for us.
This year’s Labour Sunday focuses on Hong Kong’s cleaning workers. Normally we do not pay much attention to them, yet their work is essential to keep our buildings, our streets and our parks clean and our environment healthy.
Beginning from last year the Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee has begun to contact some of them. We found that there are cleaning firms which have victimized their workers during the pandemic, particularly those from racial minorities. For example one worker from a racial minority was quarantined for 20 days. The employer refused to count the quarantine time as sick leave. He did not pay sick leave pay and cancelled the monthly salary of around $8,000. The excuse given was that the firm had to employ a replacement. The quarantine was not a decision of the worker but of the government, which had advised employers that quarantine time be regarded as sick leave.Furthermore the company pocketed the government special subsidy and did not pass it on to the employees.
Cleaning workers are the first line of defence in a pandemic and deserve recognition. They formulated five demands:
1. The special government subsidy should be used to compensate workers.
2. The Department of Food and Environmental Hygiene and the Labour Department should investigate the firms and enforce regulations.
3. The environment of cleaning workers rest places should be improved.
4. Employment contracts and other information should be issued in different languages.
5. Assist those having lost their jobs during the pandemic.
This year’s Labour Sunday encourages us to pay attention to the cleaning workers in our city and to respect their dignity. Wherever we are in a position we can help to ensure adequate pay for them and fair treatment. The words from Deuteronomy remind us that God’s commandment includes the care for labourers.
Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee
Hozzászólások