FTU Urges Easing Of Macau, Guangdong Border Curbs

The Federation of Trade Unions on Saturday urged the government to ease border restrictions with places such as Macau and Guangdong province, in a bid to revive the economy and save jobs.

The pro-Beijing federation’s secretary general, Wong Kwok, said Macau had not reported any local Covid-19 infection for 90 days, while the Guangdong province had not reported any local case for nine days.

He said workers in the hotel, transport, travel, retail and catering industries had been hit hard by the border controls.

He said closing the borders for a long period of time is seriously undermining the city’s economic activities and worsening the plight of people who are out of jobs.

“Many workers in the travel industry have been jobless for half a year. Some rely on taking cash advances from their credit cards,” he said.

“Staff in the hotel and catering sectors have been forced to take months of no pay leave,” he said.

He said while strict border controls should remain in place against countries or regions where the coronavirus epidemic had not subsided, restrictions should be eased with places where the situation had improved.

He suggested the government to set up quick testing centres at the control points, or let people with health proofs be exempted from quarantine and testing.

He urged the authorities to liaise with their counterparts in Macau and Guangdong.