Casino workers concerned with future employment prospects

In this August 2014 file photo, casino workers protest against gaming operators

Members of the New Gaming Employees Advance Association handed in a petition to the government yesterday urging the authorities to help casino workers improve their competitiveness by organizing training programs in collaboration with gaming operators.
In the petition, the group claimed that some casinos started advising their employees to take unpaid leave in the months following the fall in Macau’s gaming revenues. It also said that some workers are worried about future salary cuts or being laid off.
The association has therefore asked the government to co-organize training courses with the gaming operators. “We recommended the government organize certified courses with the gaming operators to improve the casino employees’ abilities. It can also help protect people’s employment,” said Chan Chi Kin, president of the association.
Moreover, Chan pointed out that the gaming concessions in Macau are expiring in 2020. He suggested that the government should consult and collect opinions from the public, starting in 2018, regarding the future direction of the casino operators and recreational gaming, as well as concessionaire’s operational model and responsibility.
During the 2008 financial crisis, the gaming industry in Macau had taken a blow and several operators decided to roll out voluntary salary reduction. Some employees were asked to take unpaid leave, with some non-resident workers being laid off.