Labor | Employees request salary increases and compensation for overlapping holidays

Pereira Coutinho (left), Tam Choi Wan (2nd from left) and Loi Ngai Wai (2nd from right)

Four members of Ngan Yu Yuen Kung Luen Mang Wui (an alliance association consisting of employees of Macau Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd), organized a press conference last week at the Macau Civil Servants Association (ATFPM) to urge their employer to make changes to their salaries and holiday policies.

The conference was held following an attempt by the association to submit their requests to the gaming operator, which failed to receive any response.

Loi Ngai Wai, president of the association, informed that Galaxy’s employees are making three main requests: adjustment of salaries, provision of bonuses at the end of the year, and compensation for employees when holidays and weekends overlap.

Loi remarked that Galaxy had increased salaries every July over recent years, however did not do so in July this year. The company claimed that salaries remained on par with 2015 as a result of lower gaming incomes.

Loi told the media that in the third quarter of this year Galaxy recorded a revenue growth that had both quarterly and yearly comparisons to 2015.

According to Loi, Galaxy has historically increased its employees’ salaries by two to five percent each year. Moreover, in the first half of 2016, five gaming operators not including Galaxy gave their employees a bonus which was the rough equivalent to a one-month-salary. By comparison, during this time Galaxy offered a bonus equivalent to 65 percent of one month’s salary. After a meeting with Galaxy’s senior officials, employees managed to obtain an extra MOP2,888.

In Loi’s words: “Galaxy’s whole business has recorded a relatively big increase this year when compared to 2015. [Due to that], employees are calling on Galaxy to issue bonuses equal to their monthly salaries, rather than discounted ones.”

The association also raised concerns that Galaxy is allegedly arranging weekly days off within public holidays on purpose. Loi informed that the association received a great number of complaints from employees about having to work during Golden Week for a period that would extend over 10 consecutive days.

Loi pointed out that there are already in Macau gaming operators granting workers extra days off when holidays overlap with weekends.   

As told by Loi, Galaxy has so far responded to none of the aforementioned concerns. Tam Choi Wan, vice-president of the association, said that their procedures for salary increases are in line “with the Macau’s inflation rate.”

Lawmaker Pereira Coutinho who is also the ATFPM head voiced the expectation that “the Chief Executive and the six operators can really give some hope to the people that are working at all hours in the casinos.” He expressed the hope that in 2017 salaries for such individuals will increase according to the inflation rate.

He said that overlapping holidays and weekends is a problem that has not yet been solved, and it is something that can be done if the gaming operators “have a nice heart,” and if they “really take them [the employees] as human beings instead of machines.”