Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai underlined yesterday that his government will regard the promotion of local residents’ employment “as a critical task essential for ensuring and maintaining Macau’s overall stability”, pledging his commitment to prioritising the hiring of local residents for jobs they are capable of and willing to do.
Sam made the remarks at Macau Fisherman’s Wharf last night while delivering a speech during the swearing-in ceremony for the new, 37th term of the board members of the Macau Federation of Trade Unions, commonly known as Gung Luen in Cantonese.
Last night’s event also marked the 76th anniversary of the establishment of Gung Luen, which was founded on January 20, 1950.
In his speech, Sam said that since its return to the motherland, Macau has experienced sustained economic development, continuous improvement in residents’ well-being, and social stability, all of which are inseparable from the hard work and dedication of the city’s workforce.
The Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) was established on December 20, 1999.
Sam praised Gung Luen for its consistent adherence to the principles of patriotism and unity, safeguarding workers’ rights and interests, engaging in society, and serving society, while firmly upholding the “One Country, Two Systems principle, collaborating with the local government, and making positive contributions to protecting labour rights and interests, providing community services, enhancing workers’ occupational skills, and promoting economic development.
Sam underlined that Macau’s economic development is currently presenting a stable and promising trend, with key economic indicators showing continuous improvement and the city’s general unemployment rate remaining at a relatively low level, while stressing his government’s commitment to prioritising local residents’ employment, such as by establishing a new working group aiming to promote the employment of local residents, particularly young people.
Sam said that a key focus of his government’s work this year is to safeguard local residents’ employment rights and interests and promote their high-quality employment, pledging that his government will address the promotion of local residents’ employment “as a critical task essential for ensuring and maintaining Macau’s overall stability”, with a commitment to achieve the objective of prioritising the hiring of local residents for jobs they are capable of and willing to do.
“As long as local residents are capable of and willing to do particular jobs, they should be hired on a priority basis,” Sam said.
Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai delivers a speech during yesterday’s swearing-in ceremony for the 37th term of the board members of the Macau Federation of Trade Unions, at the Convention and Exhibition Centre of the Macau Fisherman’s Wharf entertainment complex in Nape. – Photo: GCS
‘Dynamic’ adjustment to NRW permits
Moreover, Sam said, his government will comprehensively review and improve its system for assessing and approving local companies’ applications for permits to hire non-resident workers (NRWs), while “dynamically” adjusting the number of NRWs in the city in line with its latest situation.
Sam said that his government will continue to work on the improvements in labour-related laws and regulations, while further increasing the frequency of job-matching initiatives and conducting more vocational training programmes and occupational health and safety activities.
Xi’s deep care for Macau
Sam pointed out that he paid his duty visit to Beijing last month where President Xi Jinping fully affirmed the local government’s work over the past year while making important instructions and raising new requirements for Macau to carry out its various tasks well. Sam said that the close attention and deep care shown by Xi and the central authorities for Macau’s development have injected new and powerful impetus into the city’s continuous development in the new stage.
Sam pledged that his government will unite and lead people from all sectors of civil society in thoroughly studying and implementing the spirit of Xi’s important speeches and instructions, while effectively carrying out its key tasks in the next step.
Sam raises 5 hopes for Gung Luen
In this regard, Sam raised five hopes for Gung Luen.
First, Sam urged the federation to thoroughly study and implement the spirit of Xi’s important speeches and instructions, unite and guide the broad masses of workers to support the local government’s law-based administration, and work together with the government in enhancing Macau’s governance effectiveness and safeguarding national security and social stability.
Second, Sam noted that this year marks the beginning of the nation’s 15th Five-Year Plan and Macau’s third five-year socioeconomic development plan, pledging that his government will proactively align with the nation’s 15th Five-Year Plan and scientifically draw up and implement Macau’s third five-year socioeconomic development plan. Sam urged Gung Luen to continue to offer opinions and suggestions for the local government’s administration and play its role as a bridge between residents and the government.
Third, Sam urged the federation to assist local residents in engaging in diversified industries, support local workers, particularly young ones, in improving their professionalism and competitiveness, vigorously promote Macau’s appropriate economic diversification, and make greater contributions to the long-term development of Macau and the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.
Fourth, Sam urged Gung Luen to deepen exchanges and cooperation with its counterparts in the mainland, carry out its tasks in close alignment with the projected “Macau + Hengqin” development model, do more work in improving measures and facilities concerning people’s daily lives, workers’ services, and talent cultivation in Hengqin and in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), and support Macau in integrating into and serving the nation’s overall development.
Fifth, Sam urged the federation to carry forward the fine tradition of patriotism and love for Macau, strengthen its work capacity, demonstrate a good work style and image, make good use of latest technology to improve its service levels, provide workers with better and broader range of services, strengthen the cultivation and training of its key young members, develop and expand the force of patriotism and love for Macau, and further consolidate the social foundation of patriotism and love for Macau.
Gung Luen’s new, 37th term of its board members started yesterday, with lawmaker Lam Lon Wai being its new chairman. He was one of the federation’s vice-chairmen in the previous term.
Lam is one of the three vice-principals of Lou Hau High School. The school was previously named Workers’ Children High School.
