FAOM seminar backs annual leave boost for long-serving employees

Participants in a seminar organized by the Macau Federation of Trade Unions (FAOM) voiced support to the labor bill that would include a mechanism to automatically grant workers additional annual leave days based on years of service.

According to FAOM, participants debated and proposed granting workers one additional day of annual leave for each full year of service.

Titled “Community Concerns: We Care Together,” the seminar was held on Saturday at FAOM’s Northern District Service Center, aiming to provide opinions and suggestions for the ongoing public consultations on both the Labor Relations Law and the Tobacco Control Regime.

At the meeting, Winnie Cheng, FAOM’s Youth Committee director and deputy director for Policy Affairs, suggested that authorities further improve occupational protections for women during pregnancy.

FAOM also said that while residents generally supported the extension of maternity and annual leave, some suggested adding one day of annual leave per year based on an employee’s tenure and called for an increase in mandatory holidays.

Cheng added that extending maternity leave helps safeguard the health of postpartum women and newborns and promotes the development of family-friendly policies. She expressed hope that the authorities would further review occupational protections for women during pregnancy.

As previously noted by several lawmakers linked to FAOM, as well as others at the Legislative Assembly, there is currently a perception that Macau is lagging behind in public holidays and festive days.

Some traditional festivals of significant cultural importance, such as the Dragon Boat Festival and the Winter Solstice, are not yet mandatory holidays in Macau, while neighboring regions have been making efforts in this regard.

On the topic, Cheng suggested that the authorities review and consider adding them during the consultation period.

As the consultation period comes to an end (today), representatives urged members of the public to submit their opinions through the various channels to actively promote public participation.

In general, participants agreed with the amendments proposed by the government in the public consultation document, but believe the government should go further, particularly regarding the number of mandatory rest days, either by increasing annual leave or the number of public holidays.

Smoke-control measures should be upgraded

In the same meeting, regarding smoke control, participants also endorsed strengthening tobacco control efforts, with some noting that many violations go unpunished. Residents reported that smoking violations often occur in certain parks, VIP lounges at entertainment venues, and other venues. They urged the authorities to step up enforcement and public awareness.

On the topic, another deputy director of FAOM’s Policy Affairs Committee, Kou Ngon Fong, added that the government should establish more smoke-free zones, particularly in high-density areas, public squares, and around schools, to better protect residents from the effects of secondhand smoke.

Also present at the meeting, lawmaker Ella Lei stated that FAOM has long advocated for improving the Labor Law and the Tobacco Control Law, believing these measures promote residents’ physical and mental health and family harmony.

She said she supports the government’s proposal to increase statutory maternity leave to 90 days and to extend annual leave. Lei noted that although the proposed advancements still fall short of employees’ expectations, she believes that, for now, it is best to finalize the consultation summary and move forward with legislative work as soon as possible, aiming to implement these changes within this year to improve employees’ leave protections. She also promised to continue advocating for updates and better conditions in the future.

Lei also recommended that the Standing Committee for the Coordination of Social Affairs prioritize reviewing other labor laws on its agenda, including those that aim to further guarantee priority employment for local residents, enhance efforts to combat illegal employment, and improve compensation for workplace accidents and protections for commuting during bad weather.