Minimum wage, growing cost

The implementation of a minimum wage for cleaners and security guards for buildings since its implementation a year and a half ago has led to an increase in property management fees, according to the chairman of the Property Management Business Association, Jackey Chui, speaking on the TDM programme Macao Forum yesterday.
“This pressure [increase of management fee] is not accepted by the majority of residents,” said Chui, noting that only 50 per cent of buildings in the city have owners’ associations and as such management companies might not be eligible to receive the increased fee from apartment owners.
Meanwhile, Legislator Ella Lei Cheng I, also vice-president of Macau Federation of Trade Unions (FOAM), pointed out that opaque bookkeeping records kept by management companies results in the unwillingness of property owners to cough up the fees.
Regarding job searching in property management, the lawmaker said an oversupply of non-resident workers dominates the industry.
The vice president of the Federal General Commercial Association of Macau Small and Medium Enterprises, Peter Lei, on the other hand, said there was a shortage of local residents working for the management of properties.
A year and a half since implementing the measure, Legislator Lei denounced the government for not putting forward any framework for a universal minimum wage or a public consultation plan, expressing concern as to whether the government would be able to achieve its goal of implementing a universal minimum wage by 2019.