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HONGKONGNEWS.COM.HK Page 2 The No.1 Foreign Newspaper Vol.XVII No.365 February 15, 2017 Vice Consul Alex FDH testifies vs employer in court: Vallespin of the PCG says that no FDH should be made to work before enjoying their rest day. “In PH, this is Page harassment” 12-13 By Cheryl M. Arcibal “SIR, it’s not OK...In the Philippines, this is called harassment,” a 24-year-old Filipi- no domestic helper testified in court in the There is an trial for the two counts of indecent assault unexpected lightness, against her former employer. and softness in The Filipino woman was the first wit- ness presented by the prosecution at the Chiang Mai that Shatin Magistrates’ Courts on February slowly captivate its 8, the first trial day of the charges against Ong C.K. visitors. The witness, who was only identified as Miss X, recounted two incidents in 2016 when she felt “violated” by her male em- Page ployer, who was in his 60s. 20 The first incident took place on April 30, 2016 or just the third day after she start- ed working for Ong’s family on April 28, 2016. At around 3 p.m. while the helper was doing the dishes, her male employer asked her if there was anyone else in the house, and she said that there were just the two of them. The defendant allegedly went to his Iris Mittaenere beats study room in the house’s fourth floor and other beauties for buzzed the intercom to ask the witness to bring lemon tea to him. the Miss Universe One Billion Rising. Filipino stage actress Monique Wilson (center) led migrant women workers in Hong Kong 2016 crown. Turn to page 11 on February 12 to hold activities that call for end of violence against women and girls. (Story on Page 16) PUBLISHED BY HK PUBLICATIONS LTD. TEL: 2851 1766 2 NEWS February 15, 2017 HONGKONGNEWS.COM.HK ‘No work for FDHs on rest day’ Pinoy fined By Cheryl M. Arcibal “The Labour Depart- in the return flight of the domestic help- a valid clamor and mass support for the ment said daily rest ers,” he said. 11 hours of uninterrupted rest for domes- $2,000 for DOMESTIC helpers are encouraged to of domestic helpers Vallespin earlier told Hong Kong News tic workers, they could take it up with the remind their employers that they should depends on their job that they will bring to the Technical Work- TWG. be given a mandatory 24-hour rest day for responsibility. If the ing Group, a meeting among Philippine On December 18, the International Mi- Aeon theft By Cheryl M. Arcibal every period of seven days of work. helper is taking care of officials and Hong Kong’s Labour and grants Day, a group of migrant workers Vice Consul Alex Vallespin told Hong a patient, then continu- Immigration officials, the issues of food turned over to the office of Hong Kong A Filipino who stole food items from Kong News that the issue of continuous Vallespin ous rest is not applica- allowance and rest hours of Filipino do- Chief Executive C.Y. Leung a petition an Aeon store in Kornhill Plaza was rest, and rest days were among those tak- ble. Helpers who take mestic workers. asking for standardized working hours, fined $2,000 and was given a warn- en up during the January meeting between care of patients at night should be given The PCG official earlier said that they particularly “11 hours of uninterrupted ing to stay away from illegal drugs. the officials of the Philippine Consulate time to rest during daytime,” he said. have sought the inclusion of food allow- rest.” R.DR. Navoa pleaded guilty to and Hong Kong Labour and Immigration The LD also promised to step up their ance to the minimum allowable wage The petition, said Eman Villanueva, taking two coffee jars, and four cans departments. information campaign regarding the air (MAW). chair of Bayan Hong Kong and Macau, of luncheon meat, among others “No employer should require their passage provision included in the Stand- “We cited the suitability and sufficiency was signed by migrant workers from the from the supermarket on January 25, workers to do housework before they are ard Employment Contract (SEC) of help- of the food employers provide to Filipino Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, and Ne- 2017. allowed to enjoy their rest day,” Vallespin ers. domestic workers. pal. In mitigation, Navoa’s duty lawyer quoted Hong Kong officials as saying. Vallespin said some employers have in- “We told them that Filipinos love to eat “We are asking the government to give said the defendant was not a drug The 24-hour period also starts from the terpreted the provision as referring only rice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and us 11 hours of uninterrupted rest,” Vil- addict. The Filipino, the lawyer said, midnight of the rest day up until the mid- to the return ticket of the helper, without we heard so many stories that the food the lanueva said in an interview. had no job. night of the following day. paying for the baggage allowance. employers provide to their domestic work- “So instead of defining our working Judge Jason Wan Siu-ming im- Vallespin also said the Labour Depart- “The LD recognized the ambiguity and ers were leftovers of their wards,” Valles- hours, we are asking that the government posed the fine on Navoa, noting that ment agreed that the rest period for Fili- they will make the necessary clarification pin earlier said. should just ensure that we have several the case was simple shoplifting and pino domestic workers should be flexible in its publicity handbook. In the mean- As for the bid of migrant domestic hours of uninterrupted rest. This is more that the value of the goods that the if their duties include taking care of ailing time, they will try to convey the message workers to have 11 hours of continuous workable because we live with our em- defendant took was not “particularly members of the family at night. to employers about the baggage allowance rest, Vallespin said that as long as there is ployers,” he added. high”. Navoa was given two months to pay the fine. The magistrate, however, said that Navoa is being given a chance, but Mandatory food allowance, working hours opposed if the defendant uses illegal drugs By Cheryl M. Arcibal tic helpers to remind Some of them said that they had to long hours, and if working hours of help- again, he will not be given a second their employers to use spend their own money to buy sufficient ers are regulated [and when the time’s chance. AN official of a group of employment serving spoons and food so they would not be hungry while up], will they leave the children? Who “I don’t care whether you maintain agencies in Hong Kong has opposed chop sticks. performing their duties as domestic help- will take care of the children?” Wong you are not a drug addict, you won’t the clamor of foreign domestic workers “(Many) families... ers. said. be given a second chance if you do for a mandatory food allowance, saying don’t use serving Vice Consul Alex Vallespin said they Migrant domestic workers have been drugs again,” Judge Wan said. that employers in Hong Kong treat their spoons or serving would continue to support Filipino do- pressing the Hong Kong government to Navoa has one previous convic- helpers as part of their family and should Wong chop sticks, and we mestic helpers’ appeal for mandatory standardize their working hours, com- tion, but the offense was unrelated share their food. tell domestic help- food allowance. plaining that many of them work 16 to theft. Kevin Wong, vice-chairman of Asso- ers that when you go to their (homes), The Philippine Consulate General offi- hours a day, and some have even said ciation of Hong Kong Manpower Agen- you should teach your employers to use cial earlier said that they had sought the that they were on call for 24 hours. cies Ltd., told Hong Kong News that a [serving spoons]. inclusion of food allowance to the mini- Hong Kong wrapped up its three- mandatory food allowance would unduly “(The domestic helper is considered mum allowable wage (MAW). month public consultation on standard burden the employers. as part of family), and if this is the case, Meanwhile, Wong said the bid of mi- working hours in August 2016. Filipino “I don’t support this because as one why consider [the food] as leftovers?” grant domestic workers for standardized According to the UBS’ annual “Prices family, [including the domestic helper], Wong said. working hours would be difficult to im- and Earnings” study, workers in Hong man steals, they should share [their food together], Filipino domestic helpers have been plement given that even employers work Kong spent 50.11 hours a week at the and they should not create any extra ex- complaining that they are only given long hours. workplace, the longest hours out of the penses from there,” Wong said. leftover food of their employers or their “Hong Kong is a financial hub, we 71 global cities included in the poll. gambles He added that they teach their domes- wards. work long hours here. If employers work away over $365K By Cheryl M. Arcibal A 50-year-old former domestic worker was sentenced to 24 months in jail after pleading guilty to stealing over $300,000 from his employer and gambling it away.

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