A proposed monthly travel subsidy for low-paid workers is hanging in the balance with labor chief Matthew Cheung Kin-chung making last-ditch efforts to win backing from lawmakers.

That came after Confederation of Trade Unions lawmaker Lee Cheuk-yan said he had secured more votes - he now has 35 - to defer discussion of funding for the Work Incentive Transport Subsidy Scheme at Legco's Finance Committee meeting tomorrow.

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Cheung - who in the morning failed to get the Democratic Party to support the plan in its current form - last night met with other lawmakers. They said he may have softened his stance.

Lawmakers are pushing for a more generous scheme than the one proposed, which would see 380,000 workers get a HK$600 monthly subsidy for travel.

Among those at the meeting last night were independent Priscilla Leung Mei-fun, the Federation of Trade Unions' Wong Kwok-hing and Wong Kwok-kin and Liberal Party chief Miriam Lau Kin-yee. The FTU and Liberals earlier said they would back Lee.

Cheung listened patiently, according to some of the lawmakers, and said he was willing to consider views expressed so far.

Wong Kwok-kin said he will wait to see if Cheung tables further amendments to the scheme and only until then will he decide whether to back Lee's move.

The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, after meeting with Cheung, said the government may consider its compromise plan to allow workers in four districts covered by a Transport Support Scheme to benefit for one more year.

Asked if the DAB was giving the government a way out, chairman Tam Yiu-chung said the party wants to break the deadlock and is willing to change its stance.

On Tuesday, Lee said he had the support of all pan-democrats and five pro-establishment unionists. Yesterday he said he won support from a few more lawmakers, including the real estate and construction sector's Abraham Shek Lai-him, architectural, surveying and planning's Patrick Lau Sau-shing and Lam Tai-fai of the industrial sector.

Emily Lau Wai-hing, chairwoman of the Finance Committee, meanwhile, said she may allow last-minute amendments to the meeting agenda and waived the five-day notice.