Around 60 builders working on the new student residences at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology are owed two months' wages to the tune of HK$2 million, according to a leading union.

The Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union added around a dozen subcontractors were also seeking more than HK$60 million in project fees from the main contractor, Paul Y. Engineering Group.

A Facebook post showed workers staging a protest at the construction site at the Clearwater Bay campus on Monday morning.

Mr Chau, a union representative, revealed it was not the first time the workers did not receive their wages on time, with construction even halted between May and June this year.

He told RTHK that workers had demanded school officials resolve the dispute by the end of this week.

Work is still under way after a new contractor, Hip Hing Construction, took over the project last month, Chau added.

According to HKUST's website, construction of the HK$1.2 billion development began in 2020, and was supposed to be completed last year.

The eight-storey project, designed by renowned architectural firm Zaha Hadid Architects, includes accommodation for 1,500 students, as well as communal amenities and a sport hall.