Labor | Three crucial compensations retained at existing level

The maximum monthly basic salary for the calculation of dismissal compensation shall remain at MOP21,000, the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) has announced.
The decision was made after a review on three topics about labor compensations and remunerations, with the aforementioned ceiling being one of them.
The review has been conducted and discussed at the Social Coordination Standing Committee. Opinions from both the labor and the employer sides were heard, the DSAL added.
On this matter, Leong Wai Fong, vice president of the Macao Federation of Trade Unions (FAOM), pointed out that due to the city’s economic development in the past two decades, many employees are earning more than the monthly basic salary ceiling.
The pace of reviewing the maximum monthly basic salary could not catch up with the development of the city, Leong said, which in turn, cannot protect the interests of employees.
Moreover, no matter how long an employee has worked at a company, the maximum compensation for unreasonable dismissal is limited to 12-times the maximum monthly basic salary. Leong finds this unfair to loyal employees. He thus calls on the government to commence reviewing the stipulation.
The DSAL has also reviewed the minimum wage level of those working as security guards and janitors, which the authority decided to retain at MOP32 per hour for hourly-rate workers, MOP256 per day for daily-rate workers and MOP6,656 per month for monthly-rate workers.
Furthermore, reviews on the minimum wage level will be conducted every two years.
On this, Leong worries that the review will eventually take four years to conclude. He explained that from experience, the process from commencement to the implementation of review usually takes more than a year.
As such, the reviewed minimum wage level will very likely be unable to catch up with the inflation rate. This, at the end, with hurt the interests of workers.
Therefore, he hopes the government can shorten the legal review frequency to every year so as to ensure lower wage workers will be able to maintain their purchasing power in basic livelihood commodities and necessities.
The other topic was the limits of compensation for damages resulting from accidents at work and occupational diseases, enshrined in the “Legal regime for compensation for damages arising from accidents at work and occupational diseases,” which remain unchanged.
Leong requests the government to seriously consider if this existing stipulation is able to provide sufficient protection to employees. AL