More than 700 workers linked to junket firms in Macau have recently sought support from traditionalist labour group the Macau Federation of Trade Unions, asking for help in labour-related matters. The majority of the workers have been identified as employed by Suncity Group, a senior leader of the labour group told GGRAsia.
Choi Kam Fu, a vice director of the Macau Federation of Trade Unions, said that the Suncity Group workers that had contacted the labour group had not yet received any formal document from the firm regarding termination of employment. Suncity Group had been described previously by investment analysts as the largest VIP junket promoter in the city.
Macau-licensed junket operator Sun City Gaming Promotion Co Ltd – the main gaming arm of Suncity Group in Macau – announced to workers in an internal memo on Friday the “immediate termination” of business, following the closure of all its VIP rooms in Macau on December 1. It has since been reported that a number of the city’s casino concessionaires were to cease collaboration with other junket brands. None of Macau’s casino operators have so far publicly confirmed their intentions to end collaboration with junket firms.
A legislator linked to the Macau Federation of Trade Unions, Leong Sun Iok, also flagged the labour issues arising from the sudden closure of Suncity Group’s gaming venues, during a plenary meeting of the city’s Legislative Assembly. He noted that the junket firm workers were facing a “deadlock” on various labour matters – including settlement of outstanding salaries, access to provident funds, and payment of compensation for termination of employment – as they were unable to contact any relevant management representatives from Suncity Group.
Among the Suncity Group workers that have sought help from the labour group are people employed either as gaming hosts, cage cashiers, drivers or VIP room attendants, according to comments made by Mr Choi on Wednesday during a live discussion programme hosted by the Chinese-language radio service of Macau public broadcaster TDM. At the time, he called on the Macau government to provide vocational training support to workers impacted by the downfall of Suncity Group, in order for them to find new jobs in other sectors.
Macau’s Labour Affairs Bureau opened on Monday a special counter to provide support and consultancy services in labour-related matters to Suncity Group workers. As of end-Wednesday, the special counter had already received a total of more than 300 work-related complaints, according to local media reports.
