Unions on the global gaming industry

Union networks for Asia Pacific Gaming
Labour news from UNI global union - for trade unions in a global services economy.

Union networks across the growing giants of the gaming industry in Asia Pacific were launched at the first ever workshop held by UNI in Macau - the world’s biggest gambling city that is building a new Las Vegas on the South China Sea.

Gaming accounts for about half of the wealth of this former Portuguese colony that, like nearby Hong Kong, is now a Special Administrative Region of Communist China and is fast growing its casinos, hotels and entertainment resorts.

Gaming is in rapid growth regionally - with GGR (gross gaming revenue) rising 20% last year - and globally at 8.8% annually with countries from the UK to Singapore relaxing restrictions or removing bans on casinos that are increasingly seen as part of leisure and tourism.

UNITE HERE from the USA, which has a large membership and collective agreements in Las Vegas and other American cities, joined unions from eleven countries in the region in Macau.

The aim is to develop closer working between Gaming affiliates and exchange information on organising and bargaining - and to begin to build a dialogue with the gaming giants who increasingly dominate the industry.

A follow-up seminar on organising is planned for next year and UNITE HERE has offered assistance to UNI-Asia Pacific and UNI Gaming in training and to share their knowledge from organising successes in the US.

A meeting for Gaming unions in the Americas is planned for September.

Continued...