Cheung’s life has turned upside down since he survived a serious injury at work almost two years ago. He lost his health, then his savings, his family, and eventually his home. All the while, he has not received the compensation he is entitled to under Hong Kong’s labour law.
In March 2023, Cheung – who requested to use a pseudonym for fear of reprisals from his employer – fell from an elevated platform and landed sideways on a water pipe. His lungs were pierced by two fractured ribs and he was hospitalised for weeks. Now 70, Cheung has not been able to work since.
Doctors have extended his sick leave until March. According to the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance , employees that sustain an injury while at work are entitled to monthly “periodical payments” from their employer for up to two years of sick leave and up to 80 per cent of their previous earnings. Cheung made about HK$38,000 a month prior to his fall.
During an interview with HKFP earlier this month he said he had received one payment to that amount from his employer after the accident, but that was all. He took his case to the Labour Department last year but had not been able to recover the compensation he was owed. Social worker Ng Wai-tung, who has been helping Cheung with his case, told HKFP that filing a complaint to the Labour Department, which is responsible for pursuing legal action against labour law violations, and recovering owed compensation were two separate matters under existing legisl.