Lawmakers urge government to update civil servants’ salaries

Lawmakers José Pereira Coutinho and Ella Lei have urged the new government, led by Sam Hou Fai, to update the salaries of Civil Servants.

The two lawmakers, who represent the Macao Public Servants Association (ATFPM) and the Macau Federation of Trade Unions (FAOM), have expressed in comments made to the public broadcaster TDM that the new government should prioritize the salary update in its policies for 2025.

While Ella Lei did not specify a figure on how much the salaries should grow, Coutinho reaffirmed the figure of about 3%, which he had previously mentioned at the Legislative Assembly (AL) when discussing the 2025 budget with former Secretary Lei Wai Nong.

At the time, the lawmaker, who represents the interests of civil servants, called for an update of the Civil Servants’ Salary Index from the current 94 patacas per index point to 97 patacas.

In their statements, the two lawmakers noted that the government should follow the example set last week by the gaming concessionaire Sands China Ltd (SCL), which announced increases in the salaries of their workers to take effect in March this year.

They both stated that it is hoped that the other five concessionaires will follow the example of SCL and increase salaries for all their staff.

During the AL discussion over the 2025 budget, the outgoing Secretary for Economy and Finance responded to the call by saying, “This budget is not for the current government but for the next. It’s a basic budget to ensure the payment of contracted expenses and the normal functioning of services.” Lei Wai Nong remarked that if the new government sees that there is a possibility to increase the benefits for civil servants or the population in general, they can do so by presenting an amendment to the approved budget.

On the topic, Coutinho said that he now hopes that when, in March this year, the government presents the Policy Address for 2025, the salary updates for the government workers will already be part of these policies and calculated, budgeted, and ready for implementation. He noted this to be a matter of justice, as the price increases have been causing a successive loss of purchasing power for the population in Macau.

So far, only SCL has announced salary increases for 2025.

SCL pay adjustments vary by income level, with lower-salaried staff (below MOP16,000/month) receiving a higher percentage increase, while those earning wages above MOP16,000 will see their salaries increase at a fixed percentage of 2.5%. These adjustments apply to all the workers under SCL-owned properties, which include not only the casinos but also the hotels, stores, and food and beverage outlets, among others.

For her part, Ella Lei said that the salary update is necessary, especially for those government workers who earn lower salaries.

The same FAOM lawmaker also noted that attention is needed for the private sector, in which many workers have even seen their salaries reduced. She cited examples of workers in restaurants and food and beverage establishments, construction, and real estate and property management.

Ella Lei noted that currently, many workers have not yet recovered to the salary levels they had before the pandemic. She remarked that the previous government had systematically analyzed the labor market situation just through the unemployment rate, which, she said, “is not the only factor to take into account.”