More than 200 Parisian workers rally

Some 200 Chinese imported construction labourers working on the Parisian project, who are still in their posts, rallied outside the Chinese Liaison Office yesterday, demanding their employer pay them work benefits. According to local broadcaster TDM Radio, these workers demanded holiday compensation and housing subsidies after learning that 100 workers, recently sacked from the same construction site, had successfully chased back their severance compensation. Replying to Business Daily’s enquiry, the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) said that these 200 workers were not directly hired by Hsin Chong Engineering (Macau) Limited, the main contractor of the project that fired at least 100 workers last week, but were a sub-contractor under Hsin Chong. The broadcaster reported that the workers had discussed the situation with their employer yesterday morning but failing to reach an agreement marched from the construction site of the Parisian to the Chinese Liaison Office on the Macau Peninsula yesterday afternoon. DSAL claimed in a press release last night that the sub-contractor has already promised to pay compensation and subsidies to the workers, following the intervention of the Bureau. Since last week, nearly 100 workers sacked from the Parisian project by Hsin Chong have marched to the Chinese Liaison Office on three occasions – last Friday, Saturday and this Tuesday – demanding pay-offs that are larger than the statutory compensation the contractor offered. DSAL claimed in the same press release that that this group of 100 workers has already signed agreements receiving the statutory compensation from Hsin Cheong. Following the four labour dispute incidents on the Parisian project, the Bureau said that it, together with the Human Resources Office, has installed a legal-information booth on the construction site in order to provide immediate assistance to construction workers. K.L.