38 cover sTorY
in the Legislative Assembly workers against non-resident
last November the chief ex- workers adding that “al-
ecutive said: “These compa- though the situation is dif-
nies [social enterprises] will ficult the executive cannot
stemming
not be moved by commercial create a one-quota policy for
interests. They should serve all sectors of the economy in
the purpose of hiring people order to limit the number of
that are unemployed”. foreign-workers being hired
Ho said the wages would by each sector”. Neverthe-
the flow
be paid by the government less his government made
but it is still not clear exactly it compulsory for casinos to
how this will work. identity its employees with
While the Executive em- tags in an attempt to mark
braces an open market eco- them out from locals.
nomic policy and recognises The crisis is hitting hard-
that each company should be er and sooner than expected
given a choice when hiring for many blue card holders. 70
its employees, it also creates per cent of Macau’s 250,000
barriers for foreign enterpris- strong active population is
es to hire from overseas by employed by the gaming in-
making it compulsory to hire dustry. The number of mi-
locals first and promote them grants reached 104,000 last
to supervisory and manage- September while the number
rial positions. of newborn babies in Macau
This works against many was less than 1,000.
operators’ business interests. The total population
Non-permanent resident: I can see
local people taking up positions
they are not qualified for simply
because they are from Macau
Angela Leong, casino between September and De-
mogul Stanley Ho Hung- cember was 557,000. With
sun’s fourth wife and a law- the gaming industry boom,
maker, said that the gov- unemployment rates in
ernment should force all Macau became residual.
gaming concessionaries to Now that hard times
reduce the number of foreign have hit the city, many fear
workers. Edmund Ho said the gaming establishment
he would think about it and won’t be able to find enough
acknoledged that he knew people with the right skills
“many companies that are to battle through these chal-
not acting according to the lenging times. Even the chief
policy of promoting locals executive acknowledged this
to supervisory or managerial during his policy address.
positions within the gaming “Local workers might
sector.” not be old enough or expe-
rienced enough for certain
playing both sides positions and companies
cannot be forced into hiring
The chief executive candidates without quali-
also promised lawmakers fications for the position.
in his November policy ad- There are certain jobs locals
dress that the government don’t want to perform, even
will work hard on tighten- though there are 100 vacan-
ing measures to protect local cies,’’ said Ho.
december 2008
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