Trade union registration application

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1. Service targets：

Persons who intend to form and register trade unions

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2. Required formalities and documents：

Formalities:

(1) A preparatory committee shall be composed of at least 7 members (must be Macao residents who have reached the age of 18 and are employed by the employing entities with domiciles or establishments in the Macao Special Administrative Region) and agree to form a trade union and designate a representative to handle the application formalities of trade union registration;

(2) The application for trade union registration shall be submitted to the Labour Affairs Bureau within 30 days from the date on which the formation of the trade union was agreed by the preparatory committee;

(3) The Labour Affairs Bureau shall complete the vetting process within 60 days from the date of receipt of all required documents and issue a “certificate of adoptable name” in the form of an official letter to the applicant who meets the requirements (together with the reviewed draft constitution);

(4) The applicant shall, within 90 days from the date of receipt of the “certificate of adoptable name” (request for renewal once can be made), complete the notarization of the trade union’s establishment documents and constitution by either going to any notary office of the Legal Affairs Bureau (First Public Notary Office Tel: 28574258; Second Public Notary Office Tel: 28554460; Island Public Notary Office Tel: 28827504) or by means of a private notary;

(5) Within 15 days from the date of publication of the establishment documents and the constitution of the trade union in the Official Gazette of the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR), the trade union shall be registered by the Labour Affairs Bureau and acquire legal personality.  The Labour Affairs Bureau shall inform the applicant of the trade union registration number and the association registration number by an official letter.

 

Required documents^{Note 1} include:

(1) “Trade union registration application form” signed by a designated representative;

(2) A copy of the meeting minutes containing the preparatory committee’s consent to form the trade union and the designated representative signing the above application form;

(3) Copies of the MSAR Resident Identity Card of all preparatory committee members;

(4) Copies of employment certificate documents of all preparatory committee members;

(5) The proposed draft constitution^Note2.

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3. Fees：

Free of charge

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4. Time required for processing：

60 days (counting from the date of receipt of application and all necessary documents)

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Notes：

Note 1: Documents must be made in any of the official languages of the MSAR; if the documents are made in any other language, a translation which is made in accordance with Articles 182 to 184 of the Notary Code must be provided, unless a translation is exempted from the Labour Affairs Bureau.

 

Note 2: The draft constitution shall contain the following:

(1)    Name of the trade union (it must be identifiable, authentic, relevant, and cannot be similar or confused with or cause misunderstanding in the name of other registered trade unions, trade union federations or associations);

(2)    Objects (must be with the aim of protecting and promoting employees’ labour rights and interests);

(3)    Domicile (must be located in the MSAR);

(4)    Members’ rights and obligations;

(5)    Conditions for joining, withdrawal and removal of members;

(6)    Organizations and functions;

(7)    Methods of selection or designation, term of office and dismissal of office-holders;

(8)    Other matters required to be specified according to law.

 

In addition, the trade union may stipulate the following contents in its constitution:

(1) Granting honorary distinctions to members and non-members;

(2) After joining the trade union, if the member is no longer hired by the employing entity whose domicile or establishment is in the MSAR, the trade union may continue to retain the relevant membership, but the member shall not have the right to vote, the right to election, the right to stand for election and the right to recommend representatives to serve as office-holders.

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