Domestic worker unions in Hong Kong are urging employers to allow air conditioning use during the current heatwave, citing routine bans that leave workers in extreme heat. The issue gained attention after a public scolding of a helper.

Domestic workers in Hong Kong are routinely banned from switching on air conditioning when working at home alone, union leaders have said, urging employers to allow helpers to use it during very hot weather. The issue surfaced last week after an employer drew widespread online criticism for scolding her domestic helper for switching on an air conditioner an hour earlier than household rules allowed, as an intense heatwave gripped the city. The Hong Kong Observatory said high temperatures would.....