SJM employees gather outside Macau Tower

A group of employees from local casino operator SJM gathered outside the Macau Tower yesterday afternoon to demand better pay and treatment.
The employees have asked SJM to pay the same amount to workers in the same positions. They also accused the company of stealing their bonuses.
Chio Kin Hou, an SJM employee who organized the demonstration yesterday, claimed that there were 300 people who participated in the event. He said that the number was smaller than he expected because some of his colleagues were frustrated by the company’s lack of response.
Mr Chio said that they still have not decided on the next step. “We have to hold meetings to discuss what we are going to do next ,” he expressed.
Moreover, Chio Kin Hou claimed that some of the employees who participated in the demonstration yesterday were escorted away from an SJM event held at the Macau Tower.
He claimed that the event, which was to celebrate Chinese National Day, was open to SJM employees and they had registered to participate. Nevertheless, soon after they entered the venue, Mr Chio said that a number of security guards asked them to leave and accused them of joining the event with the intention of causing trouble.
Furthermore, Chio Kin Hou claimed that more than 500 SJM staff members had taken sick leave on October 3 and 4 as part of  the industrial action.
He revealed that SJM told some of its employees their medical certificates, which were issued by private clinics, were not acceptable. Therefore, it is possible that they will face disciplinary action in the future. Mr Chio said that they would not rule out going to the Labour Affairs Bureau to report the issue. JPL