Macau casino workers worried about unpaid leave amid Covid-19 alert

Macau casino workers are worried about how the recent Covid-19 outbreak could impact casino revenues and lead to unpaid leave.

Macau.- With Macau’s GGR down 48 per cent in the first week of August amid a community outbreak of Covid-19, casinos workers are concerned about unpaid-leave arrangements.

Cloee Chao Sao Fong, a casino labour activist who was going to be a candidate for the upcoming Legislative Assembly election on September 12, said at least two of Macau’s six gaming operators had pushed for unpaid leave in July. 

Sao Fong said: “Unpaid leave arrangement is inevitable for gaming workers. We just hope… that Macau could recover soon and the unpaid leave arrangement would not last too long, as it really burdens the financial situation of the workers.” 

After the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the unpaid leave system was applied by the casino operators then put on hold when there was more player traffic returning to the gaming floors.

Analysts expect Macau’s GGR for August to be down 60 per cent when compared to August 2019 and down 30 per cent when compared to July 2021. Andy Wu Keng Kuong, president of Macau Travel Industry Council, said the city now expects an average hotel occupancy rate of less than 50 per cent for August.