DISPUTE | Grand Baie Casino and Entertainment Center – The employees’ union calls on the Prime Minister

The tone is rising between the employees of the Casino de Grand-Baie and the government. In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister, Navin Ramgoolam, the union of employees of the Grand Baie Casino and Entertainment Center, affiliated with the Confederation of Public and Private Sector Workers (CTSP), strongly contests certain statements made recently in Parliament concerning the situation of the country's public casinos. At the heart of the controversy : the words of the head of government affirming that a collective agreement signed in September 2024 between the management of the SIC and the unions would have been concluded "on the sly" on the eve of the general elections, including in particular the payment of a "14th month" assimilated “an “electoral snippet”. However, the union categorically rejects this interpretation. For its general secretary, Siruven Munisami, it was in no way an exceptional productivity bonus, but rather a “contractual presence bonus”, already in force under previous governments. specifies that the collective agreement of September 2024 fell within the normal framework of a five-year salary review, planned since July 2022, in order to take into account the cost of living and the improvement of working conditions, in accordance with the Workers Rights Act. The employee representatives thus recall that the arrears paid in 2024 corresponded to two years of delay accumulated since 2022, and not to any political favor. In their correspondence, the unionists also raise several inconsistencies, which they attribute to the current management of the sector. While the government mentions a critical financial situation of the casinos and is even considering an upcoming privatization, the union affirms that certain people "close to the regime", notably in constituency No. 5, have recently benefited from significant promotions and salary increases. Meanwhile, they deplore, several employees are still awaiting payment of their Uniform Allowance since 2023, as well as other compensation provided for in the collective agreement. The union also points to the heavy taxation imposed on the gaming sector, as well as the taxes applied to players' winnings, believing that these measures are gradually moving away the clientele of Mauritian casinos. Added to this, according to them, are internal management problems and a lack of communication within the casino administration. In conclusion, employees of the Casino de Grand-Baie call on the government to propose concrete measures to revive the gaming industry in Mauritius. “The future of many families depends directly on this sector,” underlines the union, which calls for more transparency and a real recovery strategy.

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