Although the Hong Kong government has launched a "wage protection movement" to protect employees in the cleansing and guarding services sectors, there are loopholes for employers to continue to hire staff with salaries lower than the market rate.

This movement calls for voluntary participation by employers in setting a minimum wage for workers through written employment contracts. However, some employers changed the job titles or adding extra duties to the job positions so that they can hire staff with low salaries.

It is also reported that cases of unpaid workers have increased during the past year. In 2006, the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions received 292 cases of labour disputes, an increase of 12.3% compared with 2005. Among these disputes, 37% were concerned with back pay. The number of cases involving back pay has increased from 96 in 2005 to 109 in 2006. The total amount involved has increased from HK$22 million to HK$27 million.