The Union Network International is launching assistance to build unions in Macau – the former Portuguese colony that, like Hong Kong, is a Special Administrative Region of China under the post-colonial “one country, two systems” arrangement.
Training programmes – including English language training – are being prepared, a number of organising projects are under consideration and direct assistance will be extended to Macau by the UNI development and organising centre (UNIdoc) being set up in nearby Hong Kong later this year.
A record 7,000 trade unionists in Macau joined this year’s May Day rally calling for improved rights for migrant and other workers. There were clashes with police and a handful of arrests, but the demonstrators were later released without charge after a solidarity protest.
The demonstration prompted the pro-Beijing unions to be more vocal – and has made relations between the independent unions and the government frosty. “The government says it will talk to the union but actually they are trying to suppress the unions,” said outgoing General Secretary of the General Workers Union Jeremy LEI. But, during a recent visit by UNI-Asia Pacific, trade unionists were busy on the streets gathering signatures for a petition to the Macau Chief Executive calling for the pension to be paid at 60 years of age instead of 65 – and the public were queuing up to sign it.
The heart of Macau’s new and fast growing economy is gambling as old industries have moved out to the mainland. It’s the only place in China where gambling is legally permitted and the influx of gamblers (mainly from mainland China) currently employs 42,000 casino workers. That figure’s due to grow to 70,000 – making up 50% of the economy. Already anti-union US operator Sands has moved in and when cleaning staff formed a union they fired the (Australian) contractor and assumed direct management. An organising project in the casino sector is one of those under consideration by UNI-Asia Pacific.
With the Macau General Workers Union, UNI-Asia Pacific’s Christopher NG and Noel HOWELL from UNI in Nyon met the independent and pro-democracy legislator Antonio Ng Kuok CHEONG. Outnumbered in a legislature dominated by pro-Beijing and pro-business representatives Legislator Cheong can be blocked – by a vote of the other legislators – from even asking embarrassing questions about the sale of cheap public land to developers in Macau\’s current building frenzy.
Questions – and answers – are clearly needed when one parcel of land ripe for high-rise development was sold by to Macau developers for HK$900m was re-sold only a month later to Hong Kong developers for HK$8.5 billion!
“It’s vital that we give more support to independent unions in Macau and involve them in a wide range of our activities,” said Christopher after the meeting. “It’s important in the campaign to build democracy at all levels in China.” (Union Network International)
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