Many employees laid off from VIP rooms, group claims

Nearly a thousand frontline workers have been laid off in the downsizing and closure of VIP gambling rooms since the end of last year, revealed the casino employee union, Macau Gaming Industry Frontline (FMG).
Ieong Man Teng, head of the union, told local broadcaster TDM radio that a large-scale VIP room cut some 200 employees at once. These were mainly frontline workers such as client hosts and cage cashiers.
Ieong said the employees laid off have been generally reluctant to turn to the Labor Affairs Bureau (DSAL), as they fear that filing a complaint could have a negative influence on future employment opportunities.
“The VIP room employees really don’t dare to seek help from the bureau, because they fear that once the bureau intervenes, other VIP rooms won’t hire them anymore. So they’d rather look for another job on their own,” he said, adding that the commercial situation of VIP rooms has been significantly affected by the decline of high rollers, whereas mass floors were unaffected.
Since December last year, DSAL has received complaints over compensation on dismissal from a total of 53 gaming workers laid off by four VIP rooms.
TDM also cited the director-general of the Macau Gaming Enterprises Staff’s Association, Choi Kam Fu, who said that workers associated with casino employee unions affiliated with the Macau Federation of Trade Unions (FAOM) are employed by casino operators rather than the VIP rooms. So far FAOM has yet to receive any complaint over the firing of casino workers.