Hong Kong, China (CNN) -- Hong Kong lawmakers resumed debate Wednesday on a bill that may result in the region's first statutory minimum wage. 

The Minimum Wage Bill is a controversial piece of legislation that lawmakers hope will protect the most vulnerable workers in Hong Kong, one of the few places in the world without any sort of minimum wage law. 

The debate is set to take two to three days. 

A recent government survey showed that around half a million workers in Hong Kong earn less than $4 an hour. These include low-skilled workers from the catering, retail, and cleaning industries. 

According to Man Hon Poon, a policy researcher at the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Union, the lack of legal protection for workers has led to serious exploitation. 

"Workers in restaurants have to work for 12 hours or even 14 hours a day to earn a living," he said. "They cannot even go to the cinema." 

Legislator Tommy Cheung, however, claims that the government should not interfere with the free market economy, which he says has served Hong Kong well in the past. A minimum wage could deter investors and lead to increased unemployment, said Cheung, who represents the catering industry. 

"There is one fear within the industry, that they would have to close down," he said. "When you see a closure, everyone loses out." 

The government first proposed the current bill in 2008 following a failed attempt at a voluntary minimum wage. Labor unions, however, have been lobbying for a minimum wage since 1998, following the Asian financial crisis. 
are they currently discussing the issue?
resumed debate Wednesday