MOP26/hour suggested for public-outsourced

MOP26/hour suggested for public-outsourced cleaners and security staff

2013-4-24

From:Macau Daily Times

The government proposed that the minimum wage of its outsourced cleaners and security staff be set at MOP26 per hour, a 13-percent increase from the current MOP23 per hour.
The decision affects only those who work for public institutions, and was made during the third plenary meeting of the Standing Committee for the Coordination of Social Affairs held yesterday, which was attended by government officials, representatives of employers and employees.
Secretary for Economy and Finance Francis Tam, who presided over the meeting, said the adjustment is proposed according to the inflation rate. He promised that the government would try their best to make the suggested hourly rate MOP26, coming into effect on June 1. If passed, the government’s outsourced-service contracts signed after June 1 must comply with the new salary standard, Tam explained. It is the government who has the final say on the adjustment, he added.
However, referring to the official statement announced after the meeting, the plenary meeting passed the MOP26 hourly wage proposal. “There were different views on the MOP26 plan. Some regarded it to be too much, while others believe there is still room for an increase. But they all agreed that the amendment should be carried out as soon as possible,” said the Secretary.
In the last increase of hourly rates for government-outsourced cleaners and workers, made in 2011, the wage was increased to the current MOP23.
But Tam reiterated that MOP26 is not a model that the government wants to set for the future legislation of minimum wage: “This is only the minimum amount that we set for employers. (…) If they have problems in hiring people at MOP26, they have to raise the salary. It is a market reality.”
The adjustment of temporary measures for supplementary income was another issue put onto the agenda. The plenary meeting agreed to the increase of a monthly MOP300, which means qualified applicants can receive MOP4,700 instead of the present MOP4,400.
“Is it (the amount) reasonable? We have different views. But I believe it is ‘proper,’ Tam told journalists. “We don’t want to raise the allowance too high to create any misconception that the measure is to subsidize employers. If we set [the amount] too high, employers may manage to transfer their responsibility for salary increases to the government. Therefore we have to adjust the subsidy based on the reality. At the same time, we cannot make too large an increase.”
Attendants at the meeting agreed that this was the “advisable” amount, and decided to deliver the suggestion to the Executive Council, according to Tam.
With the temporary measures, Tam said that the government hopes to help those middle-aged residents with low incomes, so that they may have access to education to acquire professional training and, in the future, be promoted to higher positions with higher pay.
The amendment requires a new administrative regulation before the application commences. Last year the subsidy application for the first quarter started in April. This year Tam said it has to be postponed to May, “because we need some time to handle the increase. But allowance for the second quarter will open applications in July,” he said.
Employee representatives insisted that the MOP26 to be applied in June should not only cover contracts signed in or after June, but should also cover all government-outsourced services. They hoped that the government would clarify the calculation of the minimum wage in the near future.
Separately, the plenary meeting gave the green light to the adjustment to increase social welfare allowances that were discussed earlier this month. The plan will be delivered to the Social Security Fund for follow-up.

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