DSAL to re-examine illegal employment punishment

Yesterday, on the sidelines of the meeting of the Standing Committee for the Coordination of Social Affairs, the Director of the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL), Wong Chi Wong, said that the bureau will re- examine the administrative punishments for the illegal employment of drivers who are not allowed to drive in Macau.

Wong further revealed that the bureau had been commanded by the Secretary for Economy and Finance to do so.

When asked whether the punishment is too light, Wong did not answer directly, stating that the bureau will consider regulations regarding the employment of non-local workers.

According to Wong, the employer behind the most recent fatal accident, which killed a 22-year-old local girl, will be banned from applying for a quota of non-local workers in the next two years.

In addition, during yesterday’s meeting, the government proposed an increase in the basic amount of compensation for unreasonable dismissal of employees from MOP20,000 to MOP21,000. The employers’ representatives agreed with this increase. The employees’ representatives, however, thought that the compensation limit should be abolished.

The employees’ representatives suggested that if employees are unfairly dismissed, the compensation should be calculated on the basis of their actual monthly salary and the length of their service. JZ