News

US casino operator, Las Vegas Sands has approached the Spanish government with the proposal to build a giant 15 billion euro casino resort near Valdecarros, south-east of Madrid.



UNI’s Spanish affiliates in the gaming sector, Fecoht-CCOO and CHTJ-UGT met with the Madrid authorities to voice their concerns. Las Vegas Sands is asking that collective agreements are made “more flexible” and that the government change the Spanish immigration laws to give “preferential treatment” to the company in terms of granting work visas and lowering social security contributions.



The unions are concerned that if Las Vegas Sands gets its way and collective agreements are made “more fleixible” workers’ rights will be further eroded and the trade unions will not be in a position to protect them. The union position has received the support of the opposition Socialist Party.



CCOO and UGT will continue meeting with the government and employers’ representatives to seek further clarity on the possible human cost to Spain of Las Vegas Sands’ proposed investment. UNI stands with its affiliates in demanding that the Spanish authorities consider all the consequences in this case.



Read the Spanish media coverage of the Las Vegas Sands case here:

http://ccaa.elpais.com/ccaa/2011/12/12/madrid/1323714319_505011.html



More about the Spanish affiliates' meetings with the politicians (in Spanish):



http://www.fecoht.ccoo.es/fecoht/menu.do?Areas:Sectores:Juego:Actualidad:296583



http://juego.chtjugt.net/noticia/encuentro-de-chtj-ugt-con-los-grupos-parlamentarios-id-20916.htm