Lawmakers have passed Macau's first trade union law today.
Macau was the last jurisdiction in China (mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong) without a trade union law.
The government-drafted bill does not include the right to collective bargaining, nor the right to strike. However, the right to strike is enshrined in the Basic Law of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR).
The bill passed this afternoon is slated to take effect on March 31, 2025.
Two lawmakers, Jose Maria Pereira Coutinho and Che Sai Wang of the New Hope group that is close to the Macau Civil Servants Association (AFTM), abstained because of what they said were the bill's shortcomings in strengthening workers' rights.
According to the bill, only residents have the right to set up a trade union, but non-resident workers (NRWs) may become union members.
It took the Legislative Assembly (AL) some two decades to legislate on the right to set up a trade union.
