Lawmaker calls for stronger oversight of local hiring in public projects

Lawmaker Ella Lei is calling for stronger oversight to ensure that new government policies and task forces aimed at prioritizing local employment actually provide tangible benefits to residents.
In a recent written interpellation to the Legislative Assembly, Lei highlighted troubling reports from local workers facing unfair recruitment practices and unstable job conditions – despite government commitments to protect their interests.

The SAR government recently set up an “Employment Promotion Coordination Taskforce” to safeguard job security for local residents and effectively assist unemployed and underemployed locals in finding stable work.

On June 15, Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai reaffirmed that government-led public tenders for construction and services will prioritize qualified Macau residents willing to fill vacancies.

However, Lei’s inquiry reveals ongoing implementation challenges.

According to Lei, construction workers have reported being laid off after projects end and then referred to new jobs by the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) – only to face unreasonable hiring conditions from employers.

Lei cited one case in which a worker hired as a carpenter was reassigned to welding tasks without proper training and was then criticized for being “slow and unskilled.”

She warned that some employers impose unfair demands or restrict locals to part-time roles, undermining job stability and dignity.

The lawmaker emphasized that these cases highlight concerns that while the government promises priority for locals in public projects, some employers create barriers – such as unreasonable hiring terms or offering only part-time roles – leading to underemployment.

“The employers made unreasonable demands during recruitment, causing the job seekers to give up in desperation,” Lei said. She also called for “stronger oversight” to address these issues.

According to Lei’s interpellation, daily wages for local workers in key roles – such as steel fixers, formworkers, carpenters, welders, concrete workers, and heavy vehicle drivers – have declined in the first quarter of 2025 compared to late 2019.

At the same time, public construction volume in Macau has decreased, raising fears of worsening underemployment.

Lei urged the government to strengthen monitoring mechanisms to verify that job conditions match recruitment promises and to prevent “fake recruitment” practices that mislead applicants.

She queried, “What systems are in place to follow up on referral work, including workers’ actual duties post-hiring, and how will authorities ensure reasonable treatment of local residents to prevent bogus recruitment?”

The government has also indicated plans to include minimum local hiring ratios in public tender documents – especially for technical, managerial, and professional positions – to boost local workforce participation. Lei requested greater clarity on how these measures will be enforced in future public projects and services.