Our Desk | A blind eye to ‘modern slavery’

Lynzy Valles

Over a week ago, Amnesty International described the exploitation of domestic workers in Macau and Hong Kong as modern slavery – a shameful description of something that is occurring in the Macau SAR.

While this report is not new, I personally find it disturbing that such a definition was officially given by an international organization, citing the economic advancement that Macau is facing.

We have all heard of these vulnerable workers’ stories – some of which are bearable to hear, while others are not due to the working conditions that they face.

This sentiment does not solely rely on their working conditions because in reality, this issue of malpractice occurs around the globe, most particularly in Kuwait or Lebanon.

What I find upsetting is that such a situation is often denied, or if not, authorities just turn a blind eye.

Still, it is obvious that such instances of exploitation are more likely to happen when domestic workers are under a sponsorship system, tying a worker’s visa to the employment contract, which also prevents them from changing jobs.

According to reports, the human rights watchdog said that gaps in legal protection make it easier for employers to abuse workers, and harder for workers to get help – which sadly, is true in Macau.

The organization also cited the confiscation of identity documents and restrictions of movement as grounds for describing the practice as modern slavery – which I believe happens more in Hong Kong.

Most probably, Amnesty International’s judgment was due to the exploitation by employment agencies as workers are “compelled to work in situations that violate their human rights” – particularly workers from Indonesia.

Sadly, according to migrant groups, there are still workers earning amounts as meager as MOP1,800 per month.

In a city with a high-cost of living, it is impossible to “properly survive” in a month off these earnings. 

However, this situation is inevitable in the region – and this is all due to the lack of a proper standardized contract where employers are obliged to comply with terms that are specified up front and submitted to the labor bureau.

These workers would grab whatever is possible to remain and work in the region rather than opting to go back home, where some may already be facing large debt due to the expenses that they incurred while searching for jobs.

It is also not unknown that employment agencies are a big problem in Macau. They may be the answer to those seeking jobs, but could still be identified as one of the biggest problems, generally, in the community.

Whether they admit it or not, the region’s administration is also turning a blind eye to this matter.

We are all aware that agencies are asking for up to MOP20,000 for landing a single job, and yet, this system continues because no one really cares much about it.   

Due to the extremely poor progress on all these issues in Macau, the increasing number of vulnerable groups have remained somewhat “okay” and “settled” in these situations.

There is nothing much they could do anyway.

Migrant groups have been bringing such matters to official authorities and calling for solutions, yet no helpful answers have been given.

Solutions as simple as the establishment of a minimum wage have still not been granted, so should they continue to settle for what is occurring and wait for authorities to raise the standards of their working conditions in Macau?

This “modern slavery” is still far from what is happening in Kuwait or Lebanon; but it should not be occurring in a city that will be named the richest place in the world by 2020.