Government reluctant to support trade union law

Lawmaker Pereira Coutinho, a proponent of the trade union law

The local government’s recent opinion on the city’s employer-employee relationship shows it is reluctant to support a trade union law. Its representatives hold that the existing legislation is sufficient for protecting workers’ rights.
The Standing Committee for the Coordination of Social Affairs and Culture, which studies and discusses labor policies and related issues, recently summarized the results of a study on the trade union law.
The Standing Committee found that local government representatives believed that even without a trade union law in Macau, the rights of the city’s workers would be protected by existing laws related to both employers and employees.
Employee representatives believe that these are not substitutes for a trade union law. Employee representatives have also said that Macau’s current Labor Law provides no flexibility to workers, and lacks an effective mechanism for solving employment disputes. When dealing with large corporations, workers are in a vulnerable position.
The employers defended themselves with the claims of the local government. They accused a “small number of people” of manipulating the topic of trade union law and of stirring up conflict in Macau.
A governemnt report, titled “What conditions does a society need in order to start a trade union discussion?”, showed that 97% of local residents “have no knowledge” or “know little” about the trade union law. Among those that were aware of the law, more than half said it was unnecessary for Macau to discuss the topic within the next five years.
Vong Kok Seng, vice president of the Macao Chamber of Commerce, urged society not to push for the legislation of a trade union law.
After the publication of the report, trade union proponents Leong Sun Iok and José Pereira Coutinho once again voiced their support for the establishment of a related law. JZ