New construction workers protest over ‘payment inequality’

The central government’s liaison office in Macau was once again besieged last Saturday by mainland construction workers unsatisfied with their employers over unjust salaries and compensation arrangements. Roughly 200 workmen marched to the office from the construction sites of the Windsor Arch and the Parisian respectively in Taipa and the Cotai Strip demanding official intervention before proceeding to the government headquarters to submit their written appeals.
The workers claimed that they did years of overtime work without receiving any form of compensation or payment. During that time, part of their monthly salary was withheld and they were forced to work on public holidays.
The hours-long protest follows
several similar demonstrations that occurred last week. According to some outraged laborers from the luxury residential building site, their contractor reneged on its promise to announce the already devised compensation scheme in the morning, which instantly triggered the protest in the afternoon for fear of failing to receive their deserved payment, as their agreement would expire next month.
“We want to get back our benefits, such as MOP500 per month for housing subsidy. [The contractors] didn’t give us anything all these years,” said a representative.
The two groups of protesters, both hired by the Great Harvest Group, later made their way to the government headquarters to hand in their petition for intervention before returning to the liaison office for a brief sit-in.
Lei Lok I, deputy director of the Labor Affairs Bureau, told media that the officials were now verifying the authenticity of the payroll and attendance records provided by the demonstrators’ employer for further action.
Sands China has expressed its “utmost concern” about the labor dispute related to the construction of The Parisian Macao in a statement issued last Saturday. “Sands China understands that its construction manager and the concerned trade contractor have made clear that they are committed to keeping all arrangements in line with the labor laws of the MSAR, and that they will ensure that the statutory compensation, legitimate rights and interests of the workers are being covered. Sands China is calling on all workers to exercise restraint and act reasonably,” the statement reads. Staff reporter