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Fox Yi Hu

SCMP Reporter

Problems arising from the booming casino business in Macau would not be resolved overnight, an  investor said yesterday.

But nearly a week after the violent Labour Day protest during  which a policeman fired five shots,  K Wah group vice-chairman Francis Lui Yiu-tung  said he was  optimistic about  the city's economic outlook.

The protest left 21 police officers and dozens of demonstrators injured. A passing motorcyclist  was hit by a stray bullet.

Mr Lui said: 'The problems arising from the economic boom cannot be resolved in one go.'

The K Wah group controls Galaxy Entertainment, which operates five casinos in Macau.

Mr Lui said the casino industry would remain the  engine of Macau's economy, giving room for further development in other industries.

Meanwhile, three Macau trade unions staged a joint press conference with a local union in Hong Kong to demand better labour protection from the Macau government.

The unionists said although the opening up of the casino business had boosted the economy, not all walks of life had benefited.

Macau Confederation of Trade Unions secretary-general Ho Hing-kwok said 140,000 of the 350,000 workers in the city  were imported or illegal labour.

'We don't oppose labour importation but we should develop a  proper monitoring mechanism,' he said, adding that local workers must have priority in taking up jobs.

In an open letter to Macau Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau-wah,  the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions condemned what it called excessive use of force by the Macau police in marshalling the protest.

The union was referring to the warning shots fired by the officer and the use of pepper spray and batons against protesters last Tuesday.

Demanding an open apology to the Macau workers, the union also called for a thorough investigation and punishment for any wrongdoings by police officers.

The International Trade Unions Confederation, which has more than 300 affiliates with a total membership of 168 million worldwide, issued an open letter endorsing the Macau workers' protest in fighting for better labour protection.

The five unions behind the Labour Day rally have a combined membership of less than 1,500 - small fry when compared to the 60,000-stong Federation of Trade Unions, which has shunned any Labour Day march since the handover.

Kwan Tsui-hang,  a legislator and FTU leader, said the  federation had foreseen the violent clashes and  decided to stay  away.

'We realised violence was inevitable with a deadlock over the marching route - the groups insisted on their own path while the government said absolutely no,' said Ms Kwan.

'There are many ways to voice our demands and we don't agree with a violent approach,' she added.

Established in 1950, the federation has been Macau's dominant labour group for decades. Traditionally siding with the Chinese Communist Party, it led many labour movements against the Portuguese administration before the handover. Since then,  the government  has given strong financial support to the group, including a one-off grant of 16 million patacas in February.

But small unions outside the federation's umbrella often have to struggle with a lack of funding and legal protection.

The Macau Workers Union, with 700 members, operates on a monthly budget of 3,000 patacas, mainly from a government subsidy. The rent and maintenance of its  100 sq ft office costs nearly 2,000 patacas a month.

'We have to focus our limited resources on solving labour disputes,' said Tang Kuok-leong, a leader of the union. 'There's barely money to organise events for workers.'

Mr Tang, a former  cleaner, said he had been blacklisted by various employers for organising strikes.

Legislator Jose Coutinho  said the small independent unions were important for advocating labour rights in Macau.

He has been calling for a new labour law for years to provide the legal protection the unions need. 'It is vital to legalise collective bargaining and other specific union rights,' said Mr Coutinho.

Casualty list

The number of police officers injured in the Macau Labour Day protest:  21



Problems cannot be solved overnight, says Macau casino investor