IMF 的說法有其道理，事實上，在聯繫匯率機制下，香港不能靠港元貶值來調節成本，導致香港在亞洲金融風暴後經濟長期低迷，復蘇步伐遠遠慢於區內匯率自由浮動的國家，結果資產價格、工資及物價均要大幅向下調整後，才走出衰退和通縮。這個慘痛的經驗告訴我們，制訂最低工資阻止工資向下調整，必須非常審慎，否則會削弱香港在經濟逆境時的自我調節復元能力，令聯匯制度承受巨大的政治壓力。IMF 的觀察，值得香港社會重視。
Indonesians take lead - in being exploited 2009-11-08 南華早報
Filipinos are no longer No1 in domestic workforce, but there is no safety in numbers
Indonesia overtook the Philippines as the biggest source of Hong Kong's domestic workers in June, the first time Indonesians have outnumbered Filipinos in the city's domestic workforce.
But greater numbers have not saved them from low pay, with a survey by a migrant workers' group showing nearly a third are paid less than the legal minimum.
According to Howard Cheung Che-ho, chairman of the Asosiasi Pptki Hong Kong, an association of employment agencies accredited by the Indonesian consulate, "Most Indonesian domestic workers are from farming families. They are not well educated. Their will to make money and sacrifice is much stronger, as nearly all of them are from the bottom 10 per cent [economically] of the Indonesian population," Cheung said.
Immigration Department figures show that at the end of last month, there were 130,974 Indonesian domestic workers in Hong Kong, accounting for 49 per cent of foreign helpers. A survey of 1,289 workers by the Hong Kong Coalition of Indonesian Migrant Workers Organisation found all had been charged "placement fees" above the legal maximum, while 31 per cent were paid less than the legal minimum wage of HK$3,580 per month.
The maximum agencies can legally charge for a placement is 10 per cent of the first month's salary - HK$358. But the majority of those surveyed - 73 per cent - had paid between HK$20,000 and HK$24,999.
Cheung said the company of which he was a director, V Care Employment Services, did not charge more than the legal maximum.
"Agencies in Indonesia do not inform workers of their legal salary, while agencies in Hong Kong teach employers to pay salaries which are less than is required legally," said Purba.
Many Indonesian domestic workers were brought to finance companies on arrival to sign loan agreements to cover "placement fees", under which their salaries would be handed over.
Labour Department figures show that the number of complaints made by foreign domestic workers is growing. The department handled almost 7,000 complaints of underpayment in the past three years.
"The number of court cases does not reveal the full picture, as some are settled, and most fail to come to court because workers do not want to become witnesses as they want to leave [the city]," Sumiati said.
