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Minimum Wage for Hong Kong, Good or Bad?
香港啟用最低工資標準是好是壞？
Hong Kong is about to enact its first minimum wage, which will likely be around 28 Hong Kong dollars, or US$3.61, per hour.
香港即將制定首個最低工資標準，有可能為每小時28 港元左右，也就是約3.61 美元。
Legislation to enact a minimum wage was passed in July and is part of the government’s efforts to address Hong Kong’s worsening wealth gap.
香港政府7月份通過最低工資法案，這是政府為解決香港日益嚴重的貧富不均現象所采取的一個措施。
But opinion is divided on whether setting a wage floor will help or harm workers as well as the overall economy.
制定最低工資標準究竟會對工人及整體經濟產生何種影響，各界人士對此意見不一。
Professor Francis Lui, who teaches economics at the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, and Lee Cheuk-yan, general secretary of the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions, face off on the issue.
香港科技大學經濟學教授雷鼎鳴及香港工會聯盟秘書長李卓人就此展開了辯論。
“Having a minimum wage simply means there is a transfer of income from people at the bottom of the wage scale to people who are slightly above them.
經濟學教授雷鼎鳴說，“制定最低工資標準只能將最底層人群的工資水平稍稍上漲一點。
Only if Hong Kong’s total economic output increases and social mobility improves can more people share the pie.
只有香港經濟總量提高，社會流動性有所改善，才能使更多的人分享財富。
Unless Hong Kong can manage the huge flows of low-cost and low-skilled workers coming across the border each day, there will continuously be a segment of the population which lives in poverty.” Professor Francis Lui, Hong Kong University of Science Technology, said.
除非香港能夠管理每天流入境內的大量低成本和低技能工人，否則總會有那么一部分人生活在貧困中。”
But Lee Cheuk-yan disagreed with him. He said“Once minimum wage is implemented, there will be an immediate knock-on effect when people’s take-home pay goes up.
但是李卓人并不同意他的觀點，“一旦實施最低工資標準，人們的稅后實得工資就會增加，這會立即帶來一系列的連鎖效應。
Plus, the business decision to lay off workers isn’t only due to minimum wage. It was already triggered by high rents-it’s the root of all evil.”
另外，公司做出裁員決定并非僅僅因為最低工資標準，實際上高租金已經導致了裁員，這才是根本原因。”
