The referral of workers to labour authorities to claim unpaid wages is an “irresponsible” move, a lawmaker and a fellow union member have said, slamming the owners of a three-decade-old Hong Kong congee restaurant chain that left more than 100 employees in limbo after its abrupt closure.
Speaking ahead of a staff meeting scheduled for Friday afternoon, they also said that the government’s safety net might be unable to fully cover the unpaid wages.
According to data recently shared with the Legislative Council, the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund’s growing deficit is expected to reach more than HK$110 million (US$14 million) in the 2025-26 financial year.
The Eating Establishment Employees General Union said that Ocean Empire Food Shop had failed to pay into employees’ Mandatory Provident Funds (MPFs), even when the amounts were deducted from their pay between January and March, on top of up to HK$10 million the company owed in unpaid wages.
“Deliveroo had better arrangements when they announced their April 7 closure in early March, even though [the riders] were not employees,” legislator Lam Chun-sing, chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions, told a radio programme.
“[Deliveroo] kept paying them after the announcement and came to an agreement. That is what should be done. But now the shop seems to want to go bankrupt, thinking there is not much staff can do but head to the Labour Department for help.
