Lei Chan U wants further review of the Labor Law

Lawmaker Lei Chan U has called on the Chief Executive-elect Sam Hou Fai to prioritize the fulfilment of his political agenda, which includes measures to increase social benefits, maternity leave, and annual leave days to align them more closely with international standards.

“Macau’s labor standards lag behind those of neighboring regions and are very far behind those set out in the conventions and recommendations of the International Labor Organization (ILO), as some of them have not been updated for over 10 years,” Lei said. “For annual leave, for example, under the provisions of a law that dates back to 1984, permanent workers are entitled to six days of paid annual leave, a rule that has not been changed for 40 years,” he said. He further explained that the number of mandatory public holidays has remained at 10 since 1986 – that is, for more than 35 years.

Lei noted that while recent amendments to the labor law extended maternity leave from 56 to 70 days, this number remains “far behind the statutory entitlement in neighboring regions as well international conventions.”

Lei noted that the ILO convention dating back to 1970 establishes that “workers who have completed one year of service are entitled to 21 days of paid leave,” adding that, “In mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, annual leave days increase depending on seniority, to a maximum of 15, 14 and 30 days. This practice increases workers’ sense of belonging at work and professional stability, reducing the rate of workers moving to different companies.”

The same lawmaker noted that the local laws are so outdated that even most of the companies in Macau are not following them anymore, with the majority of companies offering 12 or more days of paid leave.

“I suggest that the government officially extends paid leave to 12 days, and then, depending on current socioeconomic development, increase this gradually until the number of paid leave days reaches the 21 days provided for in the ILO Convention.”

He suggested that Macau gradually increase the number of public holidays, as Hong Kong did over eight years to increase the number of public holidays from 12 to 17. He also recommended that the government take into account the Chinese festive seasons and celebrations in its public holidays, to reflect the “predominance of Chinese culture in Macau.”