The Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) has affirmed that it has never authorised non-resident workers (NRWs) to work as drivers in Macau, stressing that it will take “serious action” in accordance with the law if any NRWs are found to have engaged in illegal work in the city.
In response to enquiries made by the Post on Sunday concerning NRWs working illegally as drivers in Macau, the bureau said in a written reply by email yesterday that its own officials and those from several other government entities, jointly or separately, carried out 520 inspections in the local labour market between January and November last year, rounding up 508 suspected illegal workers.
The bureau noted that it has fined 59 employers for having arranged for their NRWs to work illegally as drivers, with four of them being given additional penalties by revoking their employment permits of six NRWs in total, while depriving them of the right to apply for new employment permits for NRWs for six months.
Since the implementation of the mutual recognition of driving licences between the mainland and Macau in mid-May last year, the bureau has not received any reports concerning NRWs working as drivers illegally in Macau as a result of the mutual recognition of driving licences, according to the email.
The bureau said that it will continue to listen to the views of various sectors of the community “with an open attitude”, promising that it will continue to conduct a review and analysis of the labour laws in light of Macau’s actual situation.
Meanwhile, attending yesterday’s plenary session in the Legislative Assembly’s (AL) hemicycle, directly-elected lawmaker-cum-unionist Ella Lei Cheng I, who chairs the Legislative Assembly’s (AL) 1st Standing Committee, urged the government to strengthen law enforcement measures against illegal workers, while improving the current legal and penal mechanisms.
For instance, Lei said, local transport sector workers have been hoping that the authorities will step up their crackdown on illegal drivers in light of the actual situation and follow up on whether there were any illegal drivers involved when the police conduct routine inspections, set up roadblocks and investigate traffic accidents.
Based on the fact that workers in the transport sector have no fixed place of work, it increases the difficulty of law enforcement to a certain extent, Lei pointed out.
According to long-standing regulations, NRWs are not allowed to be employed as drivers (chauffeurs) and casino dealers.
Directly-elected lawmaker-cum-unionist Ella Lei Cheng I speaks during yesterday’s plenary session in the legislature’s hemicycle. – Photo: Macau Federation of Trade Unions (Gung Luen)
