Casino workers in Macau are going through financial hardships. According to a new survey, about 60% of casino workers are in economic peril as they were forced to take unpaid leaves.

Dire straits for casino workers

The Macau Daily Times newspaper published a report on Friday, based on a survey from the Macau Gaming Enterprises Staff Association. The survey found that 59.6% of casino workers in the region have been sent on unpaid leaves. The source suggested that 80% out of the 611 staff surveyed in person and online in August are either ‘worried’ or ‘very worried’ about their career prospects in the future.

Macau has 39 casinos that were closed for 15-days starting February 5 after the city confirmed its 10^th coronavirus case. The casinos reopened with a wide range of public health and social distancing protocols later. However, businesses have found recovery very slow because of a number of restrictions related to travel between Hong Kong and mainland China.

Are the workers protected?

According to a recent examination, about 6.6% of the furloughed workers were asked to take off on specific days. The workers who had the longest employment histories were more likely to be sent on unpaid leaves. However, despite the ongoing issues, only 8% of the surveyed workers said that they are looking for a chance in the profession.

The Macau Gaming Enterprises Staff Association called on the local government to introduce new rules that would regulate unpaid leave in the region. It also asked for methods for quickening an economic rebound and provide training for people looking to upskill. It is also demanding an adjustment in foreign employment quotas to protect jobs.

The New Macau Gaming Staff Rights Association claims that up to 20,000 casino employees were underemployed and will continue being so because they are subject to unpaid leaves. The Macau gaming industry has suffered because of the pandemic. Its aggregated gross gaming revenue declined by 72.5% on a year-on-year basis in October.