Mainland workmen rally over compensation dispute

About a hundred construction workers from the mainland have rallied over a compensation dispute after being sacked from the Parisian Hotel’s construction site. Fearing the contractors would send them back home without refunding their deposits or paying their salaries, dozens of workers protested Friday and Saturday afternoon petitioning to the Chinese Liaison Office in Macau.
The workers claimed more than two hundred of them, had been hired by a sub-contractor and subsequently dismissed from the site despite some of them still being owed wages. Moreover, the protesters said they hadn’t been returned their deposits for MOP10,000 each, which  were submitted before their employment with the Hong Kong-based general contractor Hsin Chong Construction Group Ltd..
While some focused on getting back their deposits and wages, some complained they were sacked for no reason, and thus demanded compensation of up to MOP20,000 per month, an amount they believed was disputed as the maximum permitted under the city’s labor law.
On Friday afternoon, a group of 70 workers complained to the Labor Affairs Bureau (DSAL). However, they were unhappy with the bureau’s “bureaucratic replies that seemed to [dismiss] the trouble.” The workers then turned to the Liaison Office twice as their negotiation with the contractor Hsin Chong soon broke down.
Shoving and police chases took place along the Avenida Dr. Rodrigo Rodrigues, as the police barred dozens of workers attempting to head back to the Liaison Office.
On Saturday, about sixty workers once again rallied at the Liaison Office after breaking the police blockade. They eventually delivered a petition letter with signatures collected on site.
In reply to the Times’ inquiry as to why the workers were dismissed, Sands China Ltd, which owns the Parisian Hotel project, issued the following statement: “Sands China’s construction work includes the utilization of third party contracting companies. These contractors handle their own independent hiring of construction workers. As part of the normal construction process, when some elements of a job are complete, it can necessitate bringing in new workers and/or releasing other workers, in consideration of the particular skill sets needed for each phase of the construction process. Sands China Ltd. strives to ensure that its trade contractors treat their workers fairly and abide by all labor laws and regulations of the Macau SAR government.” BY