Labor Research suggests Macau should reduce weekly working hours

Leong Sun Iok (second from left), Jiang Ying (third from left), Leong Wai Fong (center)

The dean of the China Institute of Industrial Relations’ Faculty of Law, Jiang Ying, has suggested that Macau should reduce the region’s minimum weekly working hours from 48 to 44. Jiang voiced her proposal yesterday, during a press conference organized by the Macau Federation of Trade Unions (FAOM) which marked the launch of a bluebook (a list of legal information) regarding Macau’s labour rights.

“Forty-eight hours are relatively long, when many counties in the world require only 40,” said Jiang, further recommending to “gradually reduce the weekly working hours to 44 during a transition period [before reducing to fewer hours].”

Jiang noted that Macau’s law grants the city’s employees a minimum of six days’ paid leave, which is just one day more than mainland China.

Jiang’s faculty was trusted by FAOM to make the bluebook on Macau’s labor matters. According to her, extensive weekly working hours do not provide employees enough time to rest, which will in turn affect the society in three areas: family relations, labor quality, and the region’s consumption patterns. “Working for long periods of time does not give employees time to balance the relationship between work and family, they do not have too much spare time to train themselves and improve their personal skills, and, most importantly, they don’t have time to consume,” said Jiang, who is also a law professor.

Jiang mentioned that in mainland China, society strongly emphasizes the idea that labor creates wealth.

However, the law professor noted that this idea has been gradually changing across mainland China.

“In mainland, we are calling for an increase in the number of days of paid annual leaves, and the [mainland] government is being proactive towards it because we realized that besides labor, rest can also create wealth,” said Jiang.

The law professor revealed that more than 80 percent of the Macau employees surveyed on the bluebook considered Macau’s maternal leave to be “too short.”

She also voiced her opinion that longer maternal leave can shape the city’s population structure.

Macau’s local labour forces have been complaining about the city’s importation of non-local employees.

Jiang noted that Macau should consider an appropriate balance when importing non-local employees, further pointing out that non-local workers should be treated as fairly and equally as locals.

“The rights of non-local workers should be secured and they must be well-adjusted according to the rights of local employees,” said Jiang.

The aforementioned bluebook reviewed Macau’s labour situation from 2011 through to 2015. 

Those surveyed were mainly from the manufacturing sector and the service industry.

Leong Sun Iok, director of FAOM’s occupational training committee, stated that even though the job market in Macau is currently stable, finding a good job with a well-paid salary is still “not easy.”

Leong also considers that non-
local labor forces are affecting Macau’s labor market in a negative way.

“Importing non-local workers is failing,” declared Leong, explaining that “locals have no way of surviving within this industry [catering]” because the wages have been dragged down to an extremely low level, consequently resulting in locals being unable to work in the industry.

FAOM chairman Leong Wai Fong claimed that the association will certainly deliver the bluebook to the government.

The bluebook analyzes Macau’s labor relations and rights, points out the city’s employment problems and also offers strategies to surpass related issues.