36 cover sTorY
aviation industry, told Macau Business
he was also recently made redundant.
Nevertheless, he is willing to stay be-
cause the situation in Hong Kong is not
any better.
But he is feeling the strain: “I can see
local people taking up positions they are
not qualified for simply because they are
from Macau. A few companies are re-
placing foreigners with other foreigners
willing to accept lower wages. They close
down some departments and open new
ones. The job description is the same, but
the title changes,’’ he says.
A Shanghai migrant, Susana Chou,
president of Macau Legislative Assembly
has been defending the importance of the
presence of foreign labour in the name of
the healthy economic development, she
says: “With economic development we
should become more open to [foreign-
ers]. I disagree with my colleagues [hard
line legislators demanding the immediate
Lay-offs all round
exit of foreign workers], I don’t think that
Macau should exclude non-resident work-
M
O
L
IKe many other gaming operators, melco crown entertainment is cutting costs at
several levels. In response to an inquiry by macau business, the company said:
ers. When I came to Macau, people did
.
C
“We are seeking to establish innovative and flexible working arrangements for crown
not have this spirit of exclusion and this is
OTO
H
macau, we place significant emphasis on additional training opportunities for staff
why I have this sense of belonging here”.
P
K members.’’ company staff contacted by macau business, are waiting to be integrated
C
For those Legislative Assembly TO
in the company’s new cotai project, city of dreams, while others are in negotiations
S
“hard liners’’, Edmund Ho promises that
U
with potential new employers. mGm Grand macau is also under stress, having recently
A
C
unemployment will be “fought” with so-
A
laid some people off. Former employees said it was a move to comply with government
.
M
cially responsible companies.
policy that forced the company to fire non-skilled workers, expatriates among them. J.P.
W
W
During a question and answer session W
Macau under a bluecard for the past three years heard a rumour city, and they will no doubt find employment elsewhere. But
that things were going bad. He called his boss and his fears what is to become of Macau without them?
were confirmed, he would receive a letter the next day. He did, In six months or so when things pick up, where are the
and he had ten days to leave the city. workers going to come from?
“Only two months ago my colleague indicated I had a long “To get any of these workers back to Macau will be tough,’’
term working future in Macau,’’ he said. “I was offered a position
in Singapore as an option but declined as they wanted an answer
within 12 hours. I have made a life for myself in Macau, I play
in a band part time and have spent approximately HK$80,000 on
musical equipment alone from a local shop. I have a car, motor-
bike, furniture and I am in a relationship with a local lady, I feel
completely betrayed by the government,’’ he says.
This reaction is not uncommon as many of those who have
lived here, brought their families, enrolled in local schools and in-
vested in property, only to get the 10-days-and-you’re-out notice.
“Recent comments from locals in newspapers thankful
that the expats are leaving so that rent prices and supermarket
costs will fall are completely ignorant. Don’t they realise that
many of these businesses will actually cease to exist without
our financial input?’’ says another sad expat.
macau becomes
a chinese destination
Skills gap for chinese and not
the international city
Many of those hit are skilled professionals with wide
we all thought itr was
becoming with
experience, just what is required when building a brand new the world at its feet
december 2008
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