Gov’t proceeds with plan to harmonize pay policies across security forces

The government has proposed abolishing one existing administrative regulation and amending another law in order to unify payment compensation policies across all departments of the security force.
Yesterday, the First Standing Committee of the Legislative Assembly (AL) reported the latest change in the local government’s attitude on the matter with regards to the Judiciary Police’s new special career regime.
The proposal will lead to the abolishment of the article 35 of administrative regulation No. 9/2006, which is related to the organization and operation of the PJ, and the amendment of law No. 8/2012 regarding accessory remuneration for employees of the security force and security department.
The first regulation proposes compensation standards for PJ employees, and the second prescribes additional financial compensation for other security departments, including the PJ, the Public Security Police Force (PSP), the Macao Customs Service and the Fire Services Bureau.
In March, the local government had two meetings with the AL committee and more meetings with the AL legal advisors regarding the PJ’s special career regime.
After accepting both the suggestions of lawmakers and AL legal advisors, the local government brought the most up-to-date law text to the committee with amendments to the compensation policies.
Working any hours beyond the usual 44 working hours will be compensated, and overtime will be adjusted in proportion with the Civil Service Index Table, chairman of the First Standing Committee Ho Ion Sang explained.
The government proposed the inclusion of additional compensation for PJ investigators in law No. 8/2012 as well. The bill amendment is already on the AL’s agenda.
Besides salary compensation, the government also amended the provisions related to the transparency of PJ employment in the PJ’s special career regime.
According to Ho, when recruiting new investigators, the PJ will be only obligated to publicly disclose the recruitment details during two stages. One is when the public applies to take the PJ entry exams, and the second instance is when the exams are being held. In all steps following the exams, the PJ is exempt from notifying the public.
Previously, the government had proposed expanding the number for PJ staff to about 1,600 through the introduction of new departments and divisions. As of September, the PJ’s team was composed of 1,266 employees. The government hopes they will to carry out an expansion of approximately 25% over the next seven years.
According to Ho, government representatives claimed that the exact number of new PJ employees depended on the Executive Council. JZ

DSAL hopes to help locals become cooks

The Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) says that it is looking for jobs for Macau residents.
Recently, lawmaker Leong Sun Iok wrote an interpellation asking the DSAL about the city’s employment situation, especially the ratio of employed residents to non-local workers.
In their reply to Leong, the DSAL said that the bureau would continue looking for more prospective jobs for Macau local residents, particularly jobs in large-size enterprises, such as professional cook positions.
The DSAL believes that local workers will be able to take these jobs with proper training and employment assistance, and that the number of non-local workers can be reduced.
According to DSAL statistics, by the end of 2019, Macau had a total of 189,000 blue card holders contributing to the city’s development, 7,020 fewer than by the end of 2019. There were some 158,000 skilled and unskilled workers, down by 7,499. The rest of the blue card holders were composed of domestic helpers, who are not considered as either of the aforementioned types of blue card workers.
“It shows that the actual number of non-local workers has been constantly decreasing,” the DSAL said.
In the first quarter of 2020, the DSAL refused 517 blue card applications for skilled and unskilled workers. Some 119 companies applied to revoke 676 non-local worker permits.
DSAL says that it will continue monitoring changes to the global economy, and will review Macau’s employment situation and adjust the number of non-local workers.JZ