Implementing a statutory minimum wage in Hong Kong: appreciating international experiences but recognizing local conditions

The much debated Minimum Wage Ordinance eventually secured passage in the Hong Kong Legislative Council on 17 July 2010 and is to take effect on 1 May 2011. A Minimum Wage Council established under the Ordinance has made recommendations to the Chief Executive on the initial minimum wage level. This paper compares the minimum wage legislation in Hong Kong with that of other Western jurisdictions and seeks to identify what the former can learn from these international experiences in setting a statutory minimum wage. In the final analysis, it is argued that these experiences provide a good platform for implementing a broadly similar regime in the Special Administrative Region, albeit one with ‘Hong Kong characteristics’.