The tragic accident at a concert of Canto-pop boy band Mirror last month that left a dancer critically injured has prompted questions about welfare of performers in Hong Kong’s entertainment industry.

“Many dancers are afraid to speak up because they fear being labelled ‘troublemakers’ and losing job opportunities,” said Alan Wong Sui-lun, 36, a professional dancer and choreographer with 15 years’ experience.

He was one of the first in the industry to go on social media after the July 28 accident, saying performers needed better labour protection.

Dancer Mo Li Ka-yin, 27, suffered spinal cord injuries and has been in intensive care after a four-by-four-metre overhead video monitor weighing 560kg came loose and crashed onto the stage during the concert.

Mirror member Anson Lo (centre) with dancers.

Telecoms firm PCCW, which owns MakerVille, one of the organisers of the Mirror concert, has promised to take care of the entire medical bill for Li, who faces the prospect of being paralysed from the neck down.

But others in the industry said performers were mostly on their own if they were injured on the job, because of their loose terms of employment.

Professional dancer Franco Chu Kai-sing, 34, recalled being too afraid to make a fuss after being injured while rehearsing for a 2011 concert by actor and Canto-pop singer Leon Lai Ming.

He said an elevating platform had been lowered from the stage for repair, leaving a gap. With his vision partially blocked by the mask that was part of his costume, he fell and was left with a painful, palm-sized bruise on his lower left abdomen.

The event organiser took him to hospital immediately and promised to cover his medical expenses, but said nothing about whether he would be paid if he needed time to rest.

Afraid to lose the job, at his first concert performance he took painkillers and concealed the bruise with make-up and went on stage for six consecutive nights.

“I was worried that if I chose not to perform, I would not be paid,” said Chu, who has been dancing for 11 years. “I might have considered resting if there was a dancers’ organisation that provided financial support after the injury.”

Wong and Chu said dancers were paid for rehearsals and shows and, like other gig economy workers, did not get benefits or protection.

Chu said the going rate for dancers with major roles was around HK$100 (US$13) per hour for rehearsals and HK$2,800 per show. Those in minor roles get half the rehearsal rate, and HK$2,000 to HK$2,500 per show.

He said it was a struggle to make ends meet when he worked solely as a dancer early in his career, and he had to teach dancing, take up choreography and accept a post at a dance school to earn more.

“Our job is very unstable, we do not know for sure when our next performance will be. It is also common practice for production companies and choreographers to delay our payments,” he said.

He added that production companies frequently took advantage of passionate newcomers willing to work for less pay.

Mo Li, a dancer who was critically injured at the recent Mirror concert, is in danger of becoming paralysed from the neck down.

Chan Wing-yip, internal vice-president of the Hong Kong Theatre Arts Practitioners Union, said dancers deserved higher pay.

“Even though concerts nowadays have fewer shows, live streaming also contributes a major part of ticketing revenue. The salary of dancers should be adjusted accordingly instead of sticking to the same old standard that has not kept up with inflation,” Chan said.

He said the lack of industry codes made it difficult for dancers’ pay to be regulated, and they lacked labour protection because of the absence of official contracts.

Fay Siu Sin-man, chief executive of the Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims, an NGO that helps workplace accident victims fight for their rights, said dancers were at a great disadvantage if they were injured at work.

Most were hired by choreographers or production companies with only self-employment contracts, or service or verbal agreements.

“Concert dancers do not have control over their working hours, they are provided costumes and do not bear financial risks for the performance. All this shows that they are actually employed by production companies and are not self-employed,” Siu said.

She added that firms bore less labour costs and legal responsibility with self-employed workers and were not legally obliged to purchase employee’s compensation insurance for freelancers.

Under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance, injured workers who are temporarily incapacitated can receive up to HK$370 a day for medical expenses and paid sick leave for up to two years. Those with permanent partial incapacity are entitled to additional compensation.

Lawyer Samuel Hung Wan-ki, a partner at Reynolds Porter Chamberlain, said setting up service contracts between freelance performers and production companies could provide better labour protection.

Having a contract that specified what insurance would be bought and who was expected to purchase it could help improve the coverage for these workers in case of injury on the job.

Dancer Chu said that apart from insurance coverage, the industry should introduce proper employment contracts that clearly stated the salary, time frame for payment and scope of work.