The Chief Executive Ho Hau Wah (¦ó«pôó) pledged to protect the rights of local workers by banning all “unreasonable” importation of foreign workers, despite demands by trade union officials to suspend all importation.
He said in the reception celebrating May Day organised by the General Association of Trades Union of Macau (AGOM, ¿Dªù¤u·|Áp¦XÁ`·|) that legislative and administrative means will be conducted “in due course” to elevate the functional status of certain mechanisms and to adjust existing model of execution of these mechanisms and monitoring to them.
He admitted that the employment situation of Macau's local workers face “more complicated” conflicts and problems.
He also appreciated AGOM for resolving problems faced by workers “with sensitivity”, and has provided a platform to promote and collaborate with the Government in protecting the rights of local workers.
However, on the similar occasion, the President of AGOM, Pun Iok Lan (¼ï¥ÉÄõ) demanded for a suspension of foreign workers importation and to review labour policies.
She said that there are nearly 50,000 foreign workers in Macau, and local workers' own jobs are now threatened.
She said that AGOM insisted that the importation of foreign workers is only a supplement to local workforce, and that the position of inserting legal clauses to guarantee explicitly the priority of local workers to employment is maintained.
Meanwhile, the Vice-President of the Board of Directors of AGOM, Kwan Tsui Hang (Ãö»A§ö), who is also a directly-elected member of the Legislative Assembly, told Jornal Va Kio that further protests “cannot be ruled out” if demands are not resolved.
She told the newspaper that she could feel the “sincerity” of the Government in resolving the matter.
She indicated that AGOM will continue to negotiate the Government the details in resolving the dispute, and will also pay attention to the whole legislative process of controlling the importation of foreign workers, as well as follow the establishment of the relevant monitoring mechanism.
She claimed that the measures taken by AGOM is “appropriate”, and rallies and demonstrations will not be considered “for the time being”, “for the sake of the overall social stability”.
However, she cannot rule out any further actions if demands are not resolved.
Kwan refused to comment on the march organised by other labour organisations.
She also told the newspaper that she expected measures to control labour importation “within the next month or two”.
In the meantime, the leader of Jornal San Va O pointed out that the original version of the Chief Executive's speech was replaced by a new version in the Government Information Bureau's exclusive website for journalists last night, with deletion of certain important phrases.
Phrases such as “overcoming the blind spots of some segments of work”, “a full suppression of unreasonable importation moves” and “appearing an inclination to exploit the opportunities of the local population to employment, and to ensure the germination of such inclination will be difficult to appear” were disappeared from the revised version of the speech, according to the newspaper.
Other phrases, such as “we respect and care for the labour masses” and “timely appeals” and “spot-on services” by AGOM in praising their work, were also deleted from the revised version.
