Latest news with #FTU
HKFP
24-06-2025
- Business
- HKFP
Hong Kong bakery chain Taipan shuts down after 41 years, owing salaries, rent
Hong Kong bakery chain Taipan Bread & Cakes, which created the famous snowy mooncakes, has shut down all its stores after 41 years in operation, reportedly owing salaries and rent. The news comes after local media reported three of its outlets, at Choi Hung, Tai Wai and Whampoa MTR stations, were closed on Sunday, allegedly due to overdue rent. According to a notice posted on the front door of the bakery's parent company, Vast Luck Group, Taipan ceased operations immediately after suffering from 'unpredictable and overwhelming challenges recently,' CableTV reported on Tuesday. Taipan ran 12 shops across Hong Kong, its website showed. Calls to Vast Luck Group's office and all 12 Taipan branches went unanswered on Tuesday morning. On Sunday, days before Taipan's closure, the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions (FTU) said on Facebook that the bakery owed its staff salaries. In response to HKFP's enquiry, the FTU said that as of Tuesday noon, around 80 Taipan staff members had sought its help over unpaid salaries and that the union would assist some employees in going to the Labour Department to file a report. HKFP has reached out to the Labour Department for comment. Local magazine East Week reported in April on Taipan's financial problems, saying that multiple companies took the bakery to court over outstanding rent and that it failed to pay its staff salaries on time. 41-year history Taipan was founded by Kwok Hung-kwan in 1984. Five years later, in 1989, it rolled out its signature snowy mooncakes – chilled mooncakes with mochi-like glutinous skin and sweet fillings. The company ran 27 shops in Hong Kong at its peak, according to East Week. After mainland Chinese media reported that the son of Taipan's founder supported the 2019 protests and unrest, many shops across the border removed the bakery's mooncakes in September that year, ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival. In 2021, Ricky Liu, chairperson of Vast Luck Group, acquired Taipan and transformed it into 'a Hong Kong brand that loves Hong Kong and the country,' according to a report published by state-backed newspaper Wen Wei Po in August 2023. The paper praised the bakery as 'a living testimony to Hong Kong's transition from stability to prosperity.' The shutdown of Taipan came amid a wave of business closures in Hong Kong. Earlier in May, chain restaurant Ocean Empire announced the closure of all its branches, putting an end to its 33-year history.
RTHK
06-06-2025
- Health
- RTHK
Public 'mostly unaware of new hospital fee exemptions'
Public 'mostly unaware of new hospital fee exemptions' The FTU conducted a survey, garnering over 700 responses, to gauge public understanding of the new upcoming healthcare charges. Photo: RTHK The Federation of Trade Unions (FTU) said on Friday there is an urgent need for increased public awareness of what the processes surrounding the new healthcare charges to be levied next year involve. The reforms will see fee adjustments across a spectrum of public services, including accident and emergency wards, hospital stays and consultations at specialist and family medicine outpatient clinics, phased in over three stages starting on January 1. To gauge public understanding of these changes, the FTU conducted a survey from April 22 to May 13, garnering more than 700 responses. FTU lawmaker Bill Tang said that while most respondents knew about the fee increases, very few were aware of the enhanced fee exemption mechanism, signalling a need for more promotional efforts. "The government should actively [give] them the information," he said. For example, Tang said, they give patients leaflets to clearly tell them which criteria fits the new scheme. Also, he said, "the 'HA Go' [mobile app] is now more and more welcome among patients, so 'HA Go' should be a very good way to promote the new scheme of fee exemptions. "The government should [make] good use of the network of the local medical centres and district counsellors to promote the new fee exemption scheme together." Tang said more than a million people in the SAR should qualify for the enhanced exemptions. He also urged an earlier opening of applications to align with implementation of the reforms and reduce administrative delays. He further suggested expanding automatic medical fee waivers for Old Age Living Allowance recipients aged 75 or above to those aged 65 or above, saying this would ease the processing burden on healthcare staff while extending support to more seniors.
RTHK
27-04-2025
- Business
- RTHK
More protection needed for local workers: FTU
More protection needed for local workers: FTU The Federation of Trade Unions has made six demands in their Labour Day Declaration. Photo: RTHK Unionists said on Sunday the government needs to prioritise employment for local workers when they formulate plans to import labour. This was one of the six demands the Federation of Trade Unions put forward in their Labour Day Declaration. The union said officials need to consider the unemployment figures of different industries. 'According to government numbers, the unemployment rate in Hong Kong is 3.2 percent, but this number is worse in some industries. For example, 5.3 percent in the catering industry and five percent in the construction industry,' said the union's lawmaker Kingsley Wong. 'We hope the government will pay attention to these severe situations and take measures to ensure local workers are given priority in employment,' he added. Wong said the government should consider halting the import of foreign workers in industries with higher unemployment rates, so that it would be easier for locals to find work in those sectors. The FTU also called for legislation to protect the staff of food delivery platforms. They pointed out that riders are currently not covered by work injury protection and other labour laws because they are regarded as self-employed. Other suggestions include strengthening the Mandatory Provident Fund system, boosting construction safety protocols, as well as increasing training for local talent.
