The Macau Post Daily interviewed three non-resident workers (NRWs) yesterday afternoon on the current employment situation for NRWs in Macau, with some remarking that they understood how difficult the situation is, considering their own circumstances.
The interviews were conducted in the Rotunda de Carlos da Maia area.
‘I will miss it always’
A Nepalese man aged 44, who worked as a security guard in one of Macau’s integrated resorts for four years, said that his blue card was not renewed recently and had just finished his final duty. He added that he suddenly felt sad about the situation and noted that the reason he was in Macau was to provide for his family. “That’s why I need to stay here, but I cannot”. However, he commented that he understood the situation as it was due to the COVID-19 pandemic and that there are local residents who are unemployed. “Macau also needs to give jobs to their people. If they don’t have jobs, what will they do?”, he said.
The 44-year-old noted that he wished he could work in Macau for a longer period of time like some of his colleagues, “but I cannot”. He pointed out his fondness for Macau, saying: “I will miss it always”.
‘No complaints’
Another interviewee from Nepal, aged 41, whose contract was recently terminated owing to the situation and the “need to give jobs to local people”, said that “it’s okay for me because I understand the situation”. He elaborated that he had been preparing for something like this to happen for “maybe one year”, paying close attention to the news. “I know this environment is not so good. Not only here”, but around the world, “so, no complaints”, he said.
Being scheduled to fly back home soon, he added that he hopes he can come back to Macau. “I love this place”, he said, noting that he had spent over nine years working in the city and that he “always feels good here” compared to the four other places he has worked in. He also commented on the need to follow Macau’s rules and accept the situation, saying “We need to follow the rules because we are here for what? We are here to earn some money for our families. If the government says anything to us, we need to follow.”
‘What about our futures?’
Meanwhile, a 33-year-old Filipino working in the hotel industry, said that he was worried about his job security and losing his job. He said: “We came here in an effort to save money. If we lose our jobs, what about our futures? Our families back home are also relying on us”.
He noted that he was thankful to still be able to continue working as there have been a lot of lay-offs, with the pandemic mostly affecting those in his industry. However, he pointed out that he was worried and has prepared himself over the last three years [COVID-19 started to affect Macau’s economy in early 2020] by saving some money. He said that others should do the same rather than spending too much on things that are not necessary, especially as “a pandemic is something that we can’t expect and prepare for, it just happens”.
