In Macau, a trio of trade unions representing some of the city’s 56,271 gaming industry workers have reportedly called on casino operators to share some of their recent good fortune by awarding staff with minimum pay rises of around 3%.

Improving gaming revenues:

According to a report from GGRAsia, the pleas from the Power of the Macao Gaming Association, the Macau Gaming Enterprises Staff Association and the New Macau Gaming Staff Rights Association come as recent official figures from the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau suggest that the city is on track to post a double-digit year-on-year increase in annual aggregated gross gaming revenues for 2018 to around $33.01 billion.

Rise to ‘boost’ spirits:

Eason Ian Iu Chong, Vice-President for the Power of the Macao Gaming Association, reportedly told GGRAsia that his organization has asked for pay rises of ‘3% to 6%’ in order to help casino employees cope with a local average composite consumer price index that has swelled by 2.81% year-on-year since October of 2017. He also claimed that his organization represents some 1,800 people working in security, dealer and food service positions at Macau’s many casinos.

Eason reportedly told GGRAsia…

“Our members are keeping their ears open and, of course, a pay increase is what they hope for. Macau’s economy is now at least better than a few years ago when the gaming slump hit so we think the casino operators should raise our salaries and boost workers’ morale.”

Urged to follow 2018 example:

GGRAsia reported that the six casino operators in Macau, which encompass Galaxy Entertainment Group Limited, Melco Resorts and Entertainment Limited, MGM China Holdings Limited, SJM Holdings Limited, Wynn Macau Limited and the Sands China Limited subsidiary of Las Vegas Sands Corporation, earlier instituted pay rises of between 2.5% and 8% for 2018. Choi Kam Fu, General Director for the Macau Gaming Enterprises Staff Association, purportedly proclaimed that his group has asked for ‘no less’ an increase for 2019.

Choi reportedly told GGRAsia…

“We felt that as Macau’s economy is doing fine and the gaming industry here still has quite an optimistic outlook, the firms should have the conditions to award their staff with a share of their earnings in the form of pay hikes and bonuses.”

Inflation concerns:

Finally, Cloee Chao from the New Macau Gaming Staff Rights Association reportedly told the source that her organization in planning to deliver a petition to every one of Macau’s casino operators later this month calling for ‘a pay hike for workers next year’. She purportedly detailed that her group represents approximately 500 casino workers with a large proportion of these employed as dealers.

Chao reportedly added…

“In the last couple of years the casinos have been awarding their dealers a pay hike of 2.5%. I don’t think it really eases that much the inflationary pressure here. For next year we would ask for a pay hike of at least 5% for the gaming workers.”