Gov’t grilled by lawmakers on employment and current labor conditions

A large number of lawmakers grilled the government with questions and opinions on employment and labor conditions in Macau.

At the Legislative Assembly (AL) for a Q&A session with lawmakers on several inquiries, the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Anton Tai, was overwhelmed with inquiries, suggestions, and calls for better work on the government’s side to promote local employment, stop the unnecessary hiring of non-resident workers (TNRs), and improve the work conditions of employees from different sectors, including gaming.

José Pereira Coutinho, Lo Choi In, Leong Sun Iok, Nick Lei, Ngan Iek Hang, and Ma Io Fong were the lawmakers who inquired about labor matters. Many other lawmakers also intervened in the heated debate that followed.

All lawmakers commonly expressed dissatisfaction with the current job market situation and the alleged lack of government efforts to promote local employment.

Some of them, like Pereira Coutinho, Ron Lam, Leong Sun Iok, and Ella Lei, also accused the government of constantly issuing the same standardized responses to lawmakers’ questions and rarely presenting any concrete measures or policies to tackle the problems mentioned.

Pereira Coutinho and Lo focused their initial inquiries on the situation of croupiers and other employees of the satellite casinos that are due to close by the end of this year.

They urged the government to improve working conditions and supervision of unlawful company policies that force workers to perform tasks beyond their job scope and work long hours with few and short breaks.

Lo noted that there is currently no public trust that cases involving satellite casino employees will be handled in a fair and lawful manner, although the government has insisted that there are no significant issues arising from this matter.

During her speech, Lo said, “Trust is worth more than gold, and the lack of confidence in the market is one of the factors hindering economic recovery, while the absence of clear prospects and effective solutions negatively affects the social environment,” adding, “This reality is clearly evidenced by the succession of tragic suicides recorded in recent months.”

Pereira Coutinho called for the government to enforce special rules for work done after 6 p.m. and until early morning hours as “night work,” including specific compensatory measures for overnight shifts.

In response, Tai said that the rights and duties of employers and employees are regulated by the “Labor Law,” which provides rules on working hours, night work, and shift work.
The Secretary added, “In addition, employers have always been encouraged to establish, in good faith, working conditions with workers, as well as to resolve real situations encountered by both parties through understanding and consultation, maintaining harmonious labor relations.”

Tai noted that employers and workers can freely agree on working conditions, provided relevant legal provisions are followed.

He emphasized that “when organizing shift work, the employer is obliged to ensure the worker’s right to rest, including compliance with the maximum limits of regular working hours and the guarantee of ten consecutive hours of rest per day, totaling no less than twelve [rest] hours [per day], as well as a workplace that meets appropriate health and safety conditions.”

The Secretary insisted that, “If the worker is aware at the start of their employment that they will be required to work night shifts or rotating shifts, although the law does not require the employer to pay additional remuneration, this does not prevent the employer from agreeing with the employee on more favorable working conditions than those provided for in the Labor Law, particularly regarding work organization, vacation arrangements, or compensation for exceptional circumstances.”

He also reiterated that the government has not changed its position on the non-authorization of TNRs for the roles of croupier, gaming table supervisor, and professional driver.

“Furthermore, we continue to require the six integrated tourism and leisure companies to maintain a high percentage of local middle and senior management staff, in line with our goal of creating favorable conditions for residents to perform these roles,” Tai said.

“However, Macau is developing ‘One Center, One Platform, and One Base,’ characterized by multicultural coexistence. The presence of management staff from diverse cultural backgrounds in large companies contributes to cultural exchange and international competitiveness. Therefore, it should be considered from multiple perspectives.”

This response did not please many lawmakers, who insisted that the government must implement other, more effective, measures, particularly on supervision and enforcement of actual working conditions.

They claimed these often differ greatly from the law due to a lack of oversight and difficulties workers face when seeking help for labor disputes.

Regarding local manpower vs. imported manpower, Leong Sun Iok suggested the government make the ratio “clear and obvious” by establishing a minimum percentage of local hires across most industries.

He and lawmaker Lam also alleged that companies and intermediaries engage in fraudulent schemes to justify illegal hiring of TNRs and to collect locals’ data to apply for quotas.

Lawmaker Angela Leong raised similar concerns, especially for young and middle-aged residents who are sometimes hired during job-matching sessions only to be dismissed shortly after. She suggested that the Labor Affairs Bureau follow up on these cases for at least three years to ensure government resources are used effectively.

In response to Ella Lei’s accusation that inspection mechanisms for TNR hiring are flawed, Tai promised an immediate review to assess if improvements can be made.

To address questions from Leong Sun Iok, Nick Lei, Ngan Iek Hang, and Ma Io Fong, the government said it has established a “Working Group for the Coordination of Employment Promotion” to coordinate interdepartmental resources and promote local employability.

“At this stage, opinions from different sectors have been collected,” Tai said, “and guidelines were issued requiring public services and entities to prioritize hiring resident workers in awarding public works and service contracts.”

He also said the government is creating an “Integrated Vocational Training Platform” to consolidate training resources and provide residents with access to information on certification and courses through partnerships with public agencies, universities, social associations, and private companies.

The platform is expected to be operational by the third or fourth quarter of this year and aims to assist residents in employment access, career shifts, lateral mobility, and professional advancement.

Over 60% of unemployment is short-term

Addressing the work of the “Working Group for the Coordination of Employment Promotion,” Secretary Anton Tai affirmed that job-matching sessions are yielding positive results and noted that most current unemployment is short-term.

“Among those currently unemployed, more than 60% have been unemployed for only one to three months,” he said, noting this is the average time it takes to find new employment.

He emphasized that these results are encouraging and that the government will continue organizing job-matching sessions to support job seekers.