確立失業保障 落實生活工資 將新冠肺炎納入職業病保障
2021年，香港經濟衰退，失業率急升。作為教會勞工團體，我們肯定每一位工友都具有人性尊嚴, 他們的勞苦工作是延續了上主的造化工程, 他們都因著工作對家庭、對社會作出貢獻。 我們應對他們的貢獻和付出, 加以肯定。我們呼籲香港教會與社會各界人士關心前線工人困苦，共同改善勞工權益。
我們呼籲：
確立失業保障
政府應從速開展失業保障制度籌備工作，須為失業、放無薪假、及遭受減薪的僱員提供短期失業援助。我們促請失業保障金額以全港僱員就業工資中位數作為上限，給予僱員月薪八成，為期三個月。此外，政府必須儘快改革綜援制度，大幅放寬綜援資產限制，以解受困勞工燃眉之急。
落實生活工資
政府應以家庭基本生活需要釐訂最低工資水平，並落實一年一檢，確保工資增幅能抗衡通脹。我們促請政府推行生活工資，並首先落實到政府及其資助機構、外判工程與服務等，以確保投標者提出的工資水平達到最基本社會生活水平。
將新冠肺炎納入職業病保障
新冠肺炎疫情肆虐，各行各業僱員隨時有染病風險。我們促請政府即時將新冠肺炎納入《僱員補償條例》可補償職業病類別，除保障醫護外，亦保障任何維持公共衛生及與顧客有緊密接觸之僱員，包括清潔工、保安員及零售服務員等，好讓染病僱員獲得合理保障，並讓家屬得到生活支援。
香港天主教勞工事務委員會 香港基督教工業委員會
2021年5月1日
Joint Statement on Labour Day 2021
May 1, 2021
Ensure the Unemployment Protection,
Enforce the Living Wage, and
List the COVID-19 as an Occupational Disease
In 2021, Hong Kong is undergoing economic recession and increased unemployment. As labour groups of the Church, we affirm that each worker has his/her human dignity. Workers' labouring, as an extension of the creation of God, has made tremendous contribution to their families in particular and the society in general We treasure a lot workers' heavy labouring and their contribution. We urge that the Hong Kong public and the Church should pay sincere concern with the sufferings of grassroots workers and work together to improve the basic rights of workers.
Our urges are as follows:
Ensure the unemployment protection
The Hong Kong Government should start the preparation work of the unemployment protection in order to provide short-term subsidies to the unemployed and those suffering from no-pay leave or wage cut. The subsidy amount should be set at 80% of individual worker's monthly salary and last for three months. The upper bar of the subsidy is limited at the median rate of general income of employees. Moreover, the Government should proceed a review of the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme and level up greatly its asset limit to cope with the urgent needs of workers.
Enforce the living wage
The Government should set up the minimum wage on the ground of the basic living expenses of families and review the minimum wage every year in order to ensure that the wage growth will not be offset by the inflation. We urge that the Government should enforce the living wage and start the practice of the living wage first from the Government, its subsided institutions and all the out-sourced services and projects of the Government and its subsided institutions. The wages to the workers of all the out-sourced services or projects must meet the standard of the basic living expenses.
List the COVID-19 as an occupational disease
The working class are exposed to the risks of being infected by the COVID-19 virus. We demand that the Government should introduce immediately the COVID-19 into the list of occupational diseases under the Employees' Compensation Ordinance. Besides the medical professionals, the occupational injury protection on the COVID-19 also covers all the workers who are working for public hygiene or who have close contact with various kinds of clients, including cleaning workers, security guards, retailing workers, etc. Therefore, the workers who are infected by the COVID-19 virus enjoy proper legal protection and their families enjoy support for their livings too.
Hong Kong Catholic Commission for Labour Affairs Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee
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