Trade union law stirs debate but fails to pass again

Kwan Tsui Hang was one of the proponents of the proposal

The Legislative Assembly (AL) vetoed the seventh attempt to pass a trade union law yesterday. Unlike in previous occasions, when proposals were vetoed without undergoing a debate, this time several lawmakers praised the proposal, while others said that it’s approval could disrupt companies’ operations or even create chaos. The debate surrounding the bill was sparked by lawmakers linked to the Macau Federation of Trade Unions (Kwan Tsui Hang, Lam Heong Sang, Ella Lei) and ended with a split result: 18 against, 12 in favor, and lawmaker Leonel Alves abstaining from the vote.
A part of the discussion centered on what Melinda Chan labeled “a local peculiarity” – the fact that there are over 6,000 associations registered in Macau. “Politics in Macau are based on associations. In mainland China, there’s only one association. In the U.S., the syndicate represents one labor sector. […] We need to know which model we want to follow. China or the U.S.?” she asked. The lawmaker said that she approved the proposal but with some conditions, namely freedom of association. “In Macau, there are several associations of doctors, nurses, and so on,” she explained. “Will these associations be forced to be united under a single trade union? Will they not be able to act independently? If that is the case, I don’t agree. We must respect the associations that are already established,” she stressed.
Other than lawmakers being linked to business interests, there was no doubt about the perniciousness of the proposal. Fong Chi Keong was, as usual, the most vociferous: “Do we need to resort to trade unions to solve problems?! We have the government! […] I don’t want to have a radical power established in Macau,” he said. Fong predicted that the trade unions would be used by some groups “to create chaos,” and that no businessman would want to invest here if that was the case.
“After I read the proposal last night, I couldn’t sleep,” he concluded, raising laughter among some lawmakers, and warned that he still had 20 minutes left to speak.
Appointed lawmaker Ma Chi Seng said that the implementation of a trade union law “would create great pressure over the SMEs,” adding that “social consensus is needed” before making such a move. Chan Chak Mo complemented that viewpoint, saying that the workers could engage in strikes if the proposal was approved.
As in previous occasions, the argument was again raised that it is poor timing to attempt to approve the law in the face of current economic, social and industrial conditions. Au Kam San tried to counter-argue this view by asking: “But what is the favorable time to approve the trade union law? When the economy was better, the opponents to the proposal said that it was not a good time, now they are saying the same.”
The proponents, headed by Kwan Tsui Hang, noted that there are notable differences between trade unions and associations, one of them being the fact that trade unions can represent workers in judicial cases. They added that the law is needed to compensate the imbalance between workers and employers. They also said that the government should assume the responsibility of filling the gap in legislation. But their arguments, once again, were made to no avail.

on the lawmakers’ agenda

Inner Harbor link  The sudden closure of the ferry link between the Inner Harbor and Zhuhai’s Wanzai Port on Sunday has left some lawmakers worried. According to lawmaker Mak Soi Kun, the local ferry terminal shutdown “has caused major inconveniences to both Macau residents and tourists” who use the link. In his spoken enquiry, the lawmaker found it strange that the closure announcement was made on the eve of the closure. “Is there a lack of communication between the administrations of Macau and Zhuhai?” he asked. The lawmaker finds it strange that such a sudden move could happen in a context where the cooperation between Macau and Guangdong province is being enhanced. Kou Hoi addressed the same issue, stating that the infrastructure of the Inner Harbor and the Wanzai Port should be revamped in order to be able to receive more passengers. He added that if the border reopens with better conditions, there is potential that an increased number of people would use it.
Gov’t rents Song Pek Kei pointed out that the government is spending large amounts of money to rent offices. According to her, the value of rent paid to private owners will surpass one billion patacas. Stressing that her intervention was also on behalf of lawmaker Chan Meng Kam, Song said that she didn’t understand why the rent paid by the public administration continues to increase despite the rental market downturn. “What does the government have to hide regarding these rental issues?” she asked. According to Song, “The population has an answer to that question.” She concluded by saying that the government “isn’t careful in the way it spends the generous resources available.” Lawmaker Ella Lei also addressed the government rents, saying that more transparency is needed.
Poverty Pereira Coutinho said that he recently visited several households in the northern district, where people live in a state of “hidden poverty.” Enumerating the cases in detail, the lawmaker said that the cases of “hidden poverty” are growing. In his opinion, these cases are triggered by major disruption in a citizen’s personal life (like the death of a family member), but also by the “brutal increase” in rent and other aspects that raise the cost of living.