Labour group urges Macau to solve dispute

A gaming labour group announced it would call for the city’s Chief Executive to intervene in a labour dispute with Melco Resorts.

Macau.- A Macanese gaming labour group has announced that it will present a petition to get the city’s Chief Executive Fernando Chi Sai On to intervene in a dispute with casino operator Melco Resorts and Entertainment Ltd. The conflict involves unresolved payments and salary conditions.

The New Macau Gaming Staff Rights Association announced that it would deliver the petition to the Government Headquarters in order to get it to intervene in a dispute over an unpaid “summer bonus” to staff, in line with the practice of some other Macau operators. Furthermore, the group claims the company should base its employer contribution to the city’s provident fund scheme not on employees’ base salary but on “full” salary.

“We have had meetings with Macau Federation of Trade Unions (FAOM) and Macau Gaming Enterprises Staff’s Association (MGESA), and have been in discussion with these associations regarding the additional bonus, contribution to the provident fund and offer of seats at gaming tables,” Melco told GGRAsia and said: “Melco responded positively during a meeting with Lee Chong Cheng, vice president of the FAOM and Choi Kam Fu, secretary-general of the MGESA, on August 10.”

To a degree, the labour group has already succeeded in the payment of a bonus after asking Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd to issue one to employees. The firm didn’t do so but announced a “one-off special discretionary bonus,” equal to one month of base salary and guaranteed tips, payable to “97 per cent” of its non-management employees.