MGM frontline staff protest ‘unfair’ bonus policy

Frontline workers at MGM China Holdings held a second demonstration yesterday afternoon in another attempt to pressure the management into amending its “unfair” bonus policy.

Citing MGM’s “impressive performance in 2017,” protest organizer New Macau Gaming Staff Rights Association says that the bonus distribution ratio between staff members and their managers is unfair.

Under MGM’s remuneration scheme, shift managers and other senior executives are entitled to a bonus equivalent to three months’ salary, while frontline staff members receive a bonus equivalent to one month’s salary.

Protesters described the policy as “Fat Top Skinny Bottom” and said they were “very dissatisfied.”

They demanded that the casino operator pay all team members a bonus equivalent to two months’ salary, every year, to be distributed in installments every January and July.

In a statement to the Times, MGM China said that it “values its team members and as such, accepts that individuals have the right to express their views.”

“Consistent with our desire to provide a safe and positive working environment, we continue to be actively engaged in communicating directly with all our team members. We will have ongoing communication with the team members so as to improve the experience for both our team and guests.”

The same protestors delivered a petition to MGM China representatives at their first demonstration on Sunday. DB

Guangdong to bancoal-boilers

The Guangdong Environmental Protection Department (GDEP) said that the province will launch firm measures to combat environmental pollution in Guangdong, according to a report by TDM.

During the Guangdong Provincial People’s Congress, several of Guangdong’s provincial departments organized a joint press conference. At this conference GDEP Chief Lu Xiulu announced that his department will introduce firm measures, including new industrial and energy policies, to combat environmental pollution.

Lu noted that while Guangdong province accounts for about 2 percent of China’s total area, its pollutants account for approximately 3 to 8 percent of all of China’s pollutants. 

He pointed out that the total number of Guangdong’s pollutants is comparatively larger than other Chinese provinces, and that 11 cities in Guangdong still do not meet environment quality standards.

Lu acknowledged that the level of pollution reached serious levels in the years of 2013, 2014, and 2015. The GDEP chief further remarked that heavy pollution clouds occur in Guangdong every two to three years. In the Pearl River Delta, the use of coal boilers and petroleum coke will be banned.