SoCo appeals on labour, housing before Policy Address
The Society for Community Organisation (SoCo) on Sunday called on the government to review and refine its various labour importation schemes, as part of its proposals for the Policy Address next month. The call came after the Development Bureau rejected all 18 applications for the fifth round of the Labour Importation Scheme for the Construction Sector, citing a recovery in local employment. But SoCo’s deputy director Sze Lai-shan said authorities should consider putting an end to the import of workers for sectors where local unemployment has risen. “I think the government should review the policy immediately. Actually some of the other sectors, for example, restaurants, retailing, the [local] unemployment or under-employment increased. So I think [the authorities] should review if these kinds of sectors should stop importing workers,” she said.  “And besides, they should review [the schemes] every three months, every half year to see whether they [should] stop or not. And also they should set a quota because some of the sectors don't have a quota.”  The society also carried out a recent survey of 713 grassroots people on their expectations for the policy blueprint and found that 60 percent of respondents said their family income declined over the past year while 40 percent said their families were in debt.   Sze attributed this primarily to a slump in the economy and raised concerns the feeling of job insecurity could lead to mental health issues and affect family well-being.  Meanwhile, the survey also suggested the less privileged groups think the government should focus on housing, with Sze explaining that those waiting to move into a public housing unit have yet to enjoy the relief measures put forward by the government.  “Even for the light public housing scheme, [the successful applicants] can only move in next year. So you can see in the past two years, they listen, the government have some good policies, but [the people] haven't enjoyed it. So that's the point,” she said.  The chief executive will deliver his third Policy Address on October 16.