Employment Structure of Workers in the Hong Kong Construction Industry

Abstract of thesis entitled

"Employment Structure of Workers
in the Hong Kong Construction Industry"

Submitted by
Ng P. L. Anna

for the degree of Master of Philosophy at The University of Hong Kong th on 13 May 2006. i This study explores the problem of payments and wages in arrears existing in the employment structure of workers in the local construction industry. It identifies the roles of the contractors and subcontractors and investigates their business strategies and activities based on the agency problem. There are many factors contributing to the payment arrears problems faced by the subcontractors and the workforce. The stakeholders are divided into four categories: 1) the main contractors; 2) the secondary main contractors; 3) the subcontractors; and 4) the construction workforce.
There are in total twenty-five case studies collected from a number of sources: observation, interviews, informal and ongoing dialogue, literature, and document and internet sources.
Findings of this study indicate an 'activities-situation' pattern between the subcontracting tiers can be identified. The ways that some stakeholders have gained their profits were unethical. The situations of the stakeholders can also be affected by other factors. For example, their limitations and vulnerabilities, lack of rights and protection against the actions and decisions of the upper tiers. Some parties have more information compared with them their lower tiers and take advantage of that fact.
The data are presented in form of multi-case studies. The case studies anonymously narrate the undertakings of mainly the contractors, secondary main contractors and subcontractors. This study examines how the agency problems emerge in different stages, all the way from the tendering to the settling of the final accounts of the construction projects. A focus is on those details that contribute to the problems of wage and payment arrears.
An Abstract of 254 words

ii
DOI: 10.5353/th_b3717523
Subjects:
Wages - Construction workers - China - Hong Kong
Construction workers - Employment - China - Hong Kong