Unions on Friday submitted a petition to the government urging it to abandon its plan to bring in outside workers for the transport and logistics industry, as they dismissed claims of a manpower shortage in Hong Kong.

The Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions said the SAR already has enough people to fill vacant positions, such as coach and minibus drivers, but not everyone is willing to accept the pay on offer.

"Currently, the average salary in the transportation industry is around HK$23,000. However, the base salary for air freight employees and minibus drivers is typically in the range of HK$13,000 to HK$15,000,” said the federation's vice chairman, Steven Chu.

The government should take action to improve pay in the sector, Chu said.

Meanwhile, the Federation of Trade Unions (FTU) said Hong Kong's labour participation is low compared to Singapore and Macau, and the answer to the city's problems lies in encouraging more women to get jobs.

"We demand that the SAR government introduce a range of employment incentives to tap into and unleash the potential of the female workforce,” said FTU lawmaker Kingsley Wong.

Wong added that if workers from outside are indeed needed, then labour representatives should "oversee and approve the entire process".