Edinburgh architect bosses found guilty of Hong Kong wage offences

Two directors at Edinburgh architecture firm RMJM have been found guilty in a Hong Kong court of failing to pay staff wages.

Peter Morrison and Declan Thompson were each fined HK$93,000 (about £7,900) for the offences, which included failing to honour ‘termination payments’ and not settling previous awards by the Labour Tribunal.

The pair were also ordered to pay out HK$1.5 million (about £125,000) in outstanding payments and tribunal awards to the employees.

A battle between employees and former employees of the architecture firm, which was behind the design of the Falkirk Wheel and also worked on the Scottish Parliament building, has been raging for more than four years, since principal architect Catherine Siu became the first of a group of employees of the Edinburgh-headquartered firm to lodge an official complaint with the Hong Kong labour department over unpaid salaries.

According to industry magazine Architects Journal, the individual prosecutions were launched by the Hong Kong labour department following legal action by former staff from RMJM’s Hong Kong studio, who had sought £236,000 in unpaid wages from the troubled company.

A statement released by the Hong Kong Government said: “(RMJM Hong Kong Limited) failed to pay wages and termination payments within seven days after the expiry of wage periods and termination of employment, and/or the awarded sum, within 14 days after the specified payment date of the Labour Tribunal awards to 10 employees. The total amount of payment involved was about $1.5 million.

“The two directors were convicted for their consent, connivance or neglect in the wage offences and defaulting on payment of the Labour Tribunal award.”

A spokesman for the Labour Department said: “The judgment would disseminate a strong message to all company directors and responsible persons that they have to ensure that wages are paid to employees in accordance with the Employment Ordinance and that an award is paid according to the terms of the award issued by the Labour Tribunal or the Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board.

“The Labour Department does not tolerate the above offences and will spare no effort in enforcing the law and protecting employees’ statutory rights.”