Hong Kong  - Foreign maids working in Hong Kong were Thursday preparing to stage protests over a 12.8 US dollar a month pay rise awarded to them by the government.

The pay rise increases the minimum pay for foreign live-in maids in the wealthy former British colony, most of them from the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand, to 458 US dollars a month.

The move was welcomed by the Philippines consul general to Hong Kong Alejandrino Vicente who said it would help workers cope with rising living costs. The largest group of maids in Hong Kong comes from the Philippines.

However, groups representing the maids say the pay rise is too little after the women had their pay slashed by 51 US dollars a month in 2003 to help employers cope with the 2003 SARS crisis.

A series of protest marches and petitions are being planned by groups representing maids from this Sunday to press for higher rates of pay now that the city's economy is healthier.

After a similar small increase in pay rates last year, overseas maids in Hong Kong are currently paid around 12 US dollars a month less than they were before the SARS crisis.

Thursday's rise in minimum pay only applies to new contracts between employers and maids, which are usually signed for periods of two years.

More than 200,000 women work as live-in maids for working Hong Kong families, doing housework and child care duties. (dpa)