Hong Kong’s labour minister has ruled out legislating for work suspension arrangements under adverse weather, saying the move will hinder the functioning of society and the early resumption of normalcy.
Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han rejected the call on Thursday as some lawmakers urged authorities to improve the protection of workers under inclement weather, after Super Typhoon Ragasa wreaked havoc across the city.
He said different industries and job categories were interconnected, and it was not feasible to determine whether a service was essential solely based on the nature of the sector or work role.
He cited the operation of hospitals and residential care homes as an example, highlighting how they could be severely affected if employees of organisations providing food to these facilities suspended work.
The impact of poor weather on employees commuting between their homes and workplaces also varied, he added.
“Legislating for work suspension arrangements under adverse weather or ‘extreme conditions’ would pose an adverse impact on maintaining the effective functioning of society and the early resumption of normalcy, and would undermine the flexibility in work arrangements for both employers and employees,” Sun said during a Legislative Council meeting.
