Public workers lodge complaint against GCS

The Macau Civil Servants Association (ATFPM) filed a complaint with the local graft watchdog against the Government Information Bureau (GCS) for allegedly placing its staff on ‘standby’.
The GCS has rejected any illegality in its overtime work schedule and work time during holidays. But the association says that workers continue “being systematically forced to follow orders from the GCS direction to remain at home on ‘standby’”.
The ATFPM slams this type of system as being “illegal”, since it prevents workers from leaving Macau, including travelling to Hong Kong or Zhuhai because “they may be required to present themselves at their job at any time”.
“We believe that this seriously undermines the fundamental rights of workers, because the scheme of ‘standby’ does not have any compensation,” the association said in a statement.
This scheme is “an abuse of power,” the association accused. “It gives a bad example to society by disrespecting the rule of law, even though public services should be the first ones to safeguard it,” they added.
The association filed a complaint with the Commission against Corruption, which also has ombudsman powers.
ATFPM president José Pereira Coutinho once again called for the drafting of a law on collective bargaining and trade unions, both of which are included in article 27 of the Macau Basic Law.
“Because of these serious loopholes, most workers in the private and public sector are systematically exploited and every day sees their fundamental rights being violated,” the association bemoaned.
It gave as examples the “non-payment of overtime compensation and work during statutory holidays and the violation of the annual limit of 300 paid hours of overtime”.

Macau Daily Times, December 30, 2011