Macau’s six casino operators reportedly received petitions on Monday from gaming activist group, Professional for Gaming of New Macau, requesting they either match or improve on a maternity, paternity benefits package introduced last week by Wynn Macau Ltd (1128:Hong Kong).

GGRAsia reports that the group is calling on the city’s casino operators to extend paid leave for all eligible employees who are new mothers or new fathers. Also requested for eligible employees are increased bonus payments by way of a so-called “14th month” of salary.

According to the report, in addition to yearly income, casino employees in Macau currently receive a “13th month” payment, which the companies describe as a discretionary award. The group demanded in its petitions that any annual bonus received by eligible non-management employees be equal to two months of salary, or a “14th month.”

The same week Professional for Gaming of New Macau organized its gaming labor protest; MGM China reportedly announced that it had already engaged such a system.

“MGM [China] has done that already. And we hope that it will be a practice that the other casino operators would follow,” Lei reportedly told GGRAsia, in reference to a February announcement from MGM China Ltd regarding the award of two bonuses; each one equal to a month’s salary, to all of the firm’s eligible non-management employees.

The Hong Kong-listed operator and subsidiary of Las Vegas-based Wynn Resorts Limited announced on Tuesday, April 3 that the current 56-day paid maternity leave for Wynn employees would be increased to 70 days for eligible female employees and for eligible male employees the duration of paid paternity leave will increase by five days, going from two days to seven days.

In comments to GGRAsia, Lei Man Chao, deputy director of Professional for Gaming of New Macau explained, “The [casino] workers are calling for better benefits, including maternity and paternity leave. They would like it to be at the level being enjoyed by the civil servants here.”

Approximately 300 gaming workers, a majority of which are purportedly employed as casino dealers, currently comprise Lei’s group.

While the existing labor law in Macau reportedly states that female workers are entitled to a total of 56 days of paid maternity leave and male workers two days of unpaid leave due to paternity; female civil servants in Macau are entitled to 90 days paid maternity leave and their male counterparts to five days paid leave, per local regulations, according to GGRAsia.

Director General of Macau Gaming Enterprises Staff’s Association, Choi Kam Fu, reportedly told GGRAsia that his group was still in the process of assessing the adjustments being made by the city’s casino operators regarding their maternity and paternity leave policies. Choi’s association is reportedly an affiliate of Macau Federation of Trade Unions, Macau’s traditionalist labor group.