The government intends to stick to its initial plan to review the minimum wage biennially, despite strong objections from trade unionist lawmakers.

As debate on the bill establishing the minimum wage into law resumes in the Legislative Council Chamber today, lawmakers will vote first on the non-government amendment calling for the minimum wage review to be conducted annually.

That amendment is expected to be rejected under the voting system requiring that passage of a resolution or bill have consent from over half the lawmakers of both the geographical and functional constituencies.

That will leave lawmakers, including those backing the annual review, no alternative but to support the government amendment (the biennial review), which requires consent of only half of the lawmakers. The bill as originally drafted does not specify how frequently the wage level is to be reviewed.

The original arrangement for voting called for government amendments to be voted on first.

On Monday, however, the Labour and Welfare Bureau declared its intention, on short notice, to amend the bill, by proposing a biennial review to be voted on, once the non-governmental amendment calling for a yearly review is addressed.

The reversal of standard voting procedure will allow the government to hear more views from legislators, said a bureau spokeswoman. She added that if the non-government amendment is carried, the government amendment will effectively be scrapped.

Lawmakers Lee Cheuk-yan from the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions, and Wong Kwok-hing from the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, who are pushing for an annual review, were not critical of the government amendment.

Lee says he had secured about 35 votes to oppose the biennial review. The number includes votes from the pan-democratic camp (23 votes) and the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB, nine votes).

He said he had secured 11 votes from the functional constituency (FC) to back the yearly review, but that he needs at least five more votes, to carry the amendment for a yearly review. The amendment calling for a yearly review also requires sufficient support from the geographical constituency.

"I am trying to gain several more votes from the FC but Joseph Lee Kok-long, David Li and Chim Pui-chung have not provided a firm answer."

The DAB are the key players in the minimum wage issue. Analysts suggested the government changed tactics because of the party's voting stance.

"We support the yearly review because it is very reasonable," DAB party Chairman Tam Yiu-chung explained. "But if it is vetoed, we will then support the government proposal for a biennial review, which is better than nothing at all."

Given the dozens of amendments raised by lawmakers, the debate may last three days and run into Friday. One amendment calls for domestic helpers to receive minimum wage protection. Another would strip government representatives on the Provisional Minimum Wage Commission of their voting rights. Neither amendment is expected to pass.

China Daily

(HK Edition 07/14/2010 page1)