Employer sanctioned for displacing local workers with imported workers

   The Labour Department (LD) today (December 3) announced the imposition of an administrative sanction on Ying Garden O/B Cheer Power Holdings Limited. With effect from December 1, 2025, the approvals-in-principle for importing workers granted to the company under the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme (ESLS) have been withdrawn, and any applications for importing workers submitted by the company will not be processed for a period of two years.

     "The LD earlier received a complaint over the company's dismissal of local workers after employing imported workers under the ESLS. After an investigation, the company's violation of the requirements of the ESLS has been substantiated, and an administrative sanction is thus imposed," a spokesman for the LD said.

     The spokesman continued, "The ESLS stipulates that if an employer violates labour or immigration laws, the requirements of the ESLS or the Standard Employment Contract, the LD will impose an administrative sanction on the employer, including withdrawal of approvals for importation of workers previously granted and refusal to process any subsequent applications submitted by the employer."

     The spokesman reminded employers applying for the importation of workers under the ESLS to strictly comply with the requirements of the ESLS, including according priority to employing local workers. In the event of redundancy, imported workers must be retrenched first.