Macau casino workers would welcome the return of a pre-pandemic tradition – a one-off cash payment sometimes referred to as a “summer bonus” – though they are not overly optimistic, say separately two local gaming labour groups in comments to GGRAsia.
They argue however that such a payment would be justified, as their members’ workload has now returned to pre-pandemic levels since the tourism market reopened in January.
Payments commonly known collectively as “discretionary bonuses” were generally made two times per year before the disruption wrought by Covid-19. Payment dates typically coincided with Chinese New Year, near the start of the calendar year, and the summer months.
Macau’s six casino concessionaires have already made discretionary awards coinciding with the latest Chinese New Year.
“As workers, we certainly wish for a ‘summer’ bonus. But we also understand the gaming operators all have struggled through a very difficult period in the past three years and are still [with] debts,” said Lei Iok Po, director of labour group Power of Macau Gaming, in remarks to GGRAsia.
“If any bonus is to come again, it might only be issued around the end of this year, or next year,” he added.
Cloee Chao Sao Fong, head of local gaming labour activist group New Macau Gaming Staff Rights Association, said its members hope for “full resumption” of pay rises and bonuses in line with pre-pandemic practices.
Staff in the mass-market gaming areas are once again feeling the strain of work, suggested Mr Lei.
“The flow of gaming patrons has really increased a lot lately, especially for the mass floors…the overtime shifts are back,” he stated.
Though Ms Chao noted it was a “relief” that cuts had not been made to casino staff wages since the start of the new, 10-year gaming concessions in January.
But she stated: “Some gaming companies have cut the number of gaming staff by asking more senior employees to retire early, and offered them compensation and pension terms still within the bounds of the local labour law… many had no problem in accepting it.”
Ms Chao added: “There have not been many new [people] replacing these senior gaming staff, so in some cases the existing team are sharing a bigger work load. But that is understandable…because the gaming operators have had a big loss during the pandemic, and they might want to work on saving some costs on workers.”
