20 to be first Cambodian helpers in HK

The first batch of Cambodians, about 20 of them, will leave home to work as domestic helpers in Hong Kong next month, Cambodian Labor Minister Ith Samheng said on Tuesday.

Cambodia had planned to send the workers to Hong Kong in September, but their flight was delayed to December because employment agencies needed more time to recruit Cambodians and train them for the job.

In April, Cambodia’s Labor Ministry and the Cambodia Human Resource Development Association of Hong Kong signed an agreement for the association to promote, train and protect Cambodian workers in Hong Kong.

In August, Ith Samheng said his country was expected to send about 1,000 domestic helpers to Hong Kong in the next few years. 

He said the minimum wage for them in Hong Kong was US$550 a month.

Cambodian domestic helpers, many of whom have experience of working overseas, will undergo a three-month course to learn Cantonese and English, Chinese cooking, and to meet the healthcare needs of the elderly and children before they travel to Hong Kong.

Hong Kong is home to more than 361,000 foreign domestic helpers. Most of them are from the Philippines and Indonesia.