Hong Kong’s pension authority is looking into HK$100,000 (US$12,740) in missing payments for 20 employees from the Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant Xin Dau Ji, following the chain’s abrupt closure of its Kowloon Bay branch on Wednesday.
The Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority said on Friday that it was pursuing the missing contributions for April and May.
Lawmaker Aron Kwok Wai-keung confirmed that the restaurant had closed on July 9, with about 20 affected staff contacting the Labour Department for help on Friday afternoon.
He said that the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund could not cover missing payments for the Mandatory Provident Fund and that if companies decided to shut down, they should not leave their staff bearing losses.
“I urge the industry to stop employing foreign labour to protect ours. If companies plan to do so, authorities should first make sure that workers who are laid off due to sudden closures are employed.”
The department said it had pressed the employer to settle unpaid wages while calling for affected workers to register for support.
The closure of the branch at MegaBox shopping centre in Kowloon Bay marked the end of the chain, which once boasted six outlets.
