FAOM registered 3,141 people seeking help for labor disputes

Choi Kam Fu (right)

During 2017, the Macao Federation of Trade Unions (FAOM) handled 1,365 cases concerning labor rights, the federation reported this week during a press conference.

The cases were registered in the FAOM headquarters in two of FAOM’s rights protection centers, and across various service centers that belong to the union. A total of 3,141 people were involved in these cases.

Some 365 cases out of the total were related to labor affairs, involving 919 individuals. Most of the remaining cases concerned housing issues and social welfare protection.

Among all the labor disputes handled by FAOM, the majority are linked to the construction industry, with the disputes mainly caused due to a reduction in the number of construction projects, which in turn leads to a decrease in job vacancies provided within the sector, resulting in severe unemployment.

Moreover, disputes regarding the salaries of construction workers also increased compared to the previous year because of the conclusion of several construction projects.

FAOM received more than 200 requests for help from workers trying to collect their salaries. Some of these cases were resolved, however FAOM did not disclose the exact number.

When addressing matters of future work, FAOM claimed that it would urge the government and gaming operators to implement a full range of tobacco control measures to ensure workers have a healthy work environment.

In addition, Choi Kam Fu, director general of the Macau Gaming Enterprises Staff Association (under FAOM), said that the association cares about the safety of employees within the gaming industry.

According to Choi, some of the casinos’ “gaming tables have an improper design,” with a few casinos requiring workers to wear specific kinds of high- heels while working.

“FAOM noticed that some casinos still require employees to work while standing. The union is now cooperating with them, hoping that [casinos] can provide seats for these workers,” revealed Choi.

In 2017, FAOM also solved cases where a security company required local employees to take unpaid holidays, and also cases where a cleaning company did not pay salaries to its employees.

The association highlights its long-standing calls, urging the government to not hire non-local occupational drivers in order to improve the transportation industry’s retirement system.

In particular, Choi noted that they hope the government can consider allowing occupational drivers to work even after they turn 65 years old.

Besides reporting the above-mentioned data, FAOM also noted that, in 2017, in 653 instances, it provided suggestions to the government about livelihood rights in communities.