Macau: Minimum wage research late this year

Yet, coordinator of the Standing Committee for the Coordination of Social Affairs (CPCS), Shuen Ka Hung, told reporters after last week’s meeting that only the University of Macau (UM) and a private research institution have so far expressed interest in participating in the open tender.

Shuen said employer and employee representatives in the standing committee have reached a consensus that they will confirm the content and rules of the tender before August 10.
It is expected that the tender can be launched at the end of September, he added.

“In the second half of the year the winning institution should be able to carry out large-scale research of the city’s cleaning and security companies and employees,” Shuen said.
Nevertheless, he said the Macau University of Science and Technology and the Macau Polytechnic Institute have confirmed that they cannot be responsible for the research project due to “manpower shortage”.

The executive committee of CPCS will decide which bidder will win the tender.
Shuen said the findings of the research will be used to determine whether or not Macau needs to legislate a minimum wage for cleaning and security employees. “We don’t have a deadline of when the research needs to be completed. Of course the sooner the better but the more scientific and comprehensive it is, the longer time it will take,” he added.

On the other hand, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) briefed the CPCS about the work progress of the licensing system for gaming employees primarily croupiers. Shuen said the draft of the administrative regulation will require casino workers to possess “any criminal records or tendency to pathological or problem gambling”.

The draft will also not affect people’s “employment right” and existing gaming workers will not be dismissed for not receiving professional skill appraisals, he assured. He said the employee representatives are “generally satisfied” with the draft of the licensing system, which is prepared by DICJ.