Lawmakers demand increase in 36-year-old paid leave and maternity leave standards

Some legislators have expressed concerns about labor rights and work-life balance, urging Macau authorities to adjust working hours and mandatory holidays, including a proposal to align maternity leave with that of mainland China and Hong Kong, ensuring a minimum of 98 days.

The first plenary session of the Legislative Assembly (AL) convened earlier this week, where newly elected directly elected legislators Leong Pou U from the Macau Federation of Trade Unions and Chan Lai Kei from the Macau People’s Alliance addressed annual leave and maternity leave entitlements in their inaugural speeches.

Leong emphasized that Macau’s labor standards have long lagged behind those of neighboring countries and regions with comparable social and economic development, falling short of the conventions and recommendations set by the International Labour Organization, stating, “Certain labor standards have remained unadjusted for decades.”

“Labor standards are not only essential working conditions but also important indicators of a country’s and region’s industrial environment,” Leong added, highlighting that Macau’s mandatory holidays have remained unchanged for 36 years since 1989. While maternity leave was recently increased from 56 to 70 days, it still falls short of the standards set by neighboring countries, regions, and international labor conventions.

In contrast, Chan argued that Macau’s maternity and paternity leave systems still need improvement, suggesting the development of a more comprehensive and forward-looking support system that encourages people to “want to have children, dare to have children, and be able to raise children well.”

Pointing out that Macau’s birth rate was just 0.58 last year, indicating an ultra-low fertility rate, Chan suggested gradually extending paid maternity leave to at least 98 days, in line with the International Labour Organization’s recommendations, and to match durations offered in Mainland China and Hong Kong.

He also proposed studying the establishment of exclusive paternity leave and shared parental leave.

His suggestions also include implementing flexible work arrangements in public sectors and the gaming industry, exempting pregnant women and mothers of children under three from overnight or overtime shifts. Additionally, he proposed allowing employees to be excused from on-call duties during extreme weather due to special family circumstances and raising the eligibility age for childcare subsidies to six, while increasing the amounts based on the number of children.