Hong Kong property management leaders say companies face up to a 25% security staff shortfall, defending a major housing estate's hiring of a third of its guards from mainland China. Richland Gardens owners' corporation announced the recruitment of 31 guards via a government labour scheme, drawing criticism from a labour lawmaker and social media users.
Industry leaders from Hong Kong’s property management sector have said companies are struggling with a security staff shortfall of up to 25 per cent, as they defended a major housing estate’s hiring of a third of its guards from across the border.
The owners’ corporation of Richland Gardens in Kowloon Bay announced on social media last week that 31 guards from mainland China would be hired through a government labour scheme. The Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme allows firms to import low-skilled workers if they are unable to recruit locally.
The move drew criticism from a labour sector lawmaker and social media users, many of whom were concerned that migrant workers would take away jobs from locals. Some users questioned whether the estate had genuinely struggled to recruit local guards or whether the pay on offer had been unattractive.
However, the owners’ corporation told the South China Morning Post that the recruitment was “necessary”, as the estate had faced a shortage of security staff for at least four years.
