Macau (MNA) – Paul Pun Chi Meng, the President of charity organisation Caritas Macau, said on Sunday that communication issues with their employers, cultural differences, living conditions and health care are some of the main problems non-resident workers face in Macau.
Pun made the comments during the 2018 Working Law Seminar held today to inform non-residents of their rights and responsibilities as foreign workers, an event organised by the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL), Caritas Macau, the Philippine Consulate General in Macau SAR and the Philippines Overseas Labour Office.
“We try to get migrant workers and those with active roles in their communities to absorb and learn more about the legal matters related to work in Macau. Since they are willing to serve the society, we hope they will know how to follow and respect the laws,” he indicated.
The Caritas head noted that there were currently more than 180,000 migrant workers in Macau serving the society and since many of them are not able to speak or read Chinese, they might not be able to absorb the adequate information provided by the society, especially in regard to legal matters.
“Sometimes they face difficulties communicating with their employers, maybe they speak English but their employers don’t. Secondly, there are cultural differences, with Filipinos or Indonesians having different religious backgrounds, while many Macau citizens are Buddhists or have a different faith,” Mr. Pun stated.
Although he considered that most local employers try to know and respect other religions and will try to listen instead of quarrelling, he noted that even a minor problem could become a bigger problem if its not handled correctly.
“If [migrant workers] find difficulties or have a conflict with their employers, they’ll worry about losing their job. It’s important to have a platform or a wellness center where they can voice out their concerns,” he added.
Another issue raised was the living environment, with many migrant workers sharing small apartments with their roommates and with the Caritas head suggesting a team could be created to visit migrant workers housing quarters and assess if they are living in proper conditions.
Pun also indicated he has suggested for a long time that there should be a review of the wage paid for domestic workers and greater attention should be given by local society on health protection for migrant workers.
“Migrant workers tend not to see doctors or if they see them they worry about the fees they pay. Even if they have seen the doctor they will worry about the medicine purchases,” he said.
The President of Caritas is currently setting up a local medical clinic near Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro and focused on assisting non-residents, with Mr. Pun saying he hoped the space could start operating this month.
“We have cleaned the clinic and painted the floor to give it a new look and prepare it receive patients, which will be mostly migrant workers. The two doctors still have to wait for their final papers, we hope they will get it soon so they can take the responsibility and serve the patients,” he noted.
With the Macau government having recently raised the fees for non-resident to give birth in public health centres and hospitals in Macau, Mr. Pun said that only one non-resident worker had so far requested Caritas for assistance with childbirth expenses, and that although the clinic he is preparing to open was mainly set for primary care, with proper assistance it could also provide support for labour.
