Sands China cut off more than 3,000 non-local workers over past two years – President – Macau Business

*By Therese Tu

Sands China has dismissed more than 3,000 non-local employees since the beginning of the pandemic“ in order to save costs and ensure employment for local residents”, the company’s president Wilfred Wong Ying Wai recently indicated to the Chinese language newspaper Macao Daily.

To cope with the reduction in the number of tourists caused by the pandemic, Sands China has reduced expenses and discharged some employees during the past two years, mainly involving some 3,000 non-local workers, the gaming concessionaire’s president revealed.

The number of local workers dismissed was not specified, while the president added that currently about 75 per cent of their employees are local residents.

The number of non-resident workers employed by all six gaming operators in the Macau SAR by the end of 2021 was 32 per cent lower when compared to the 23,676 non-residents employed before the pandemic outbreak, the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) revealed earlier this year in a reply to legislator Lei Chan U.

Overall, a total of 11,434 non-residents previously employed by gaming concessionaires as of the end of 2019 had left their jobs two years after the pandemic outbreak.

Meanwhile, the DSAL pointed out that the exit of foreign employees did not directly imply the hiring of local residents when replying to Lei’s inquiry on how current policies towards foreign employment were helping improve the employment of local residents.

The Sands China president also commented that the company’s investment in non-urgent construction projects will be delay if the economic impact caused by the pandemic continues.

At the same time, the president estimated that no major increase in the number of tourists will be seen in the coming labour day golden week, due to the strict Customs entry policy and the recent Covid-19 outbreaks in various mainland provinces.

Wong expressed that Macau can only make mainland tourists consider the city to be a safe destination by strict implementation of the pandemic prevention measures, therefore promoting the SAR to be the first choice of mainland tourists when the pandemic situation in the mainland stabilizes.

Regarding the new round of e-consumer cards to be issued in May, the president of Sands China stressed that the e-vouchers can only provide limited help for gaming concessionaires.

However, Sands China will still cooperate with the SAR government to carry out local tours and launch hotel packages, Wong revealed.

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