A Labour Tribunal has returned a verdict in support of a Filipina domestic worker who filed a maltreatment claim against her employer.
Joy Verzola, 24, who was a newcomer to migrant work, said she walked out after working for the family for only 16 days because she had been assaulted by the employer’s wife, the sunwebhk.com reported.
Presiding officer of the tribunal Eric Tam backed the domestic worker and ordered employer Liu Chung Hang to pay HK$3,452 (US$440) for wages in arrears, including HK$1,200 for a one-way ticket home and HK$100 in travel and food allowance.
Liu at first refused to pay the wages and demanded that he be paid a month’s pay in lieu of notice because Verzola broke their contract.
But Tam told Liu that the worker had the right to terminate the contract if, as she had claimed, she was assaulted by the employer’s wife. Liu told the officer that the worker had made up some of the charges.
The domestic worker said that the first incidence of assault came when the employer’s wife allegedly pulled her hair, hit her hands and grabbed her by the back of the neck. Verzola reported the incident to her employment agency and they in turn talked to her employers.
On May 4, the female employer again pulled the worker’s hair. Verzola called the police, and although they took her statement she did not press charges.
At that point Verzola broke her work contract and moved to the Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge.
This is the good thing here in HK …The law protect everyone even Us as migrant workers
Very good kabayan,atleast mas pinahalagahan mo ang safety and dignity mo instead of fear of loosing your job. I salute your move!!
Fight for the rights,we came here to work not assaulting by employer bcoz they will pay for our service only.
Kaya ingat si lalaki ngayon kasi oag inulit nya pa ginawa nya datipaghablot sakin idedemanda ko sya
The best is ,we should know our rights and fight for it,wag matakot,lab nasa tama at nay material ipaglaban!(Be a member of the Union ,FMWU )
Good know youre rights as some employers are really abusive..
In hongkong, law means law……..IGNORANCE OF THE LAW EXCUSES NO ONE. ……its a good place to work,specially if you are lucky to have a good employer. …..God bless hk
We are so proud of you kahit baguhan ka d ka natakot na ipaglaban ang karapatan mo bilang isang katulong. Sana ikaw ay tularan din ng mga namamaltra ng mga amo nila…
When you seek justice in Hong Kong,absolute fair for individual.No matter what races you are they are not bias.
Some Hong Kong people really needs to learn manner , so sick just imagining someone pulling other people hair . Really show a devil heart , uneducated person , and lack of manner .
Good job kabayan, if all the abused maids will appear and have courage to report to police, then maybe it will alarm the abusive employers to treat their maids nicely, remember we are just being paid to help them not to be abused by them.
sana block listed na ang employer na yan..