GGRAsia – Staff headcount under review: Resorts World Sentosa

Staff headcount under review: Resorts World Sentosa

Jun 10, 2016 Newsdesk Latest News, Singapore, Top of the deck

Resorts World Sentosa (pictured), a casino resort operated by Genting Singapore Plc, has confirmed the firm is in the process of reviewing its “headcount”. The news followed a media report that Resorts World Sentosa was “letting go” of 400 workers.

In a statement emailed to GGRAsia on Friday, Resorts World Sentosa said it was “in the process of reviewing its operational resources to ensure it stays relevant in this challenging market.”

It added: “With the current business environment, it is necessary for Resorts World Sentosa to review the headcount in its gaming business so that it can achieve the right size to meet its business needs.”

Friday’s statement from Resorts World Sentosa was made jointly with Desmond Choo, executive secretary of the Attractions, Resorts and Entertainment Union (AREU) in Singapore.

The joint statement did not confirm whether workers were being sacked, and if so, how many. GGRAsia asked Resorts World Sentosa to clarify those points, but a spokesperson said, in a follow-up email, the casino resort had “no further details to share”.

Singapore-based Today newspaper reported on its website – citing sources it didn’t identify – that a move to reduce staff numbers at Resorts World Sentosa was being focused on casino operations. It said the exercise involved games dealers, supervisors and pit managers.

The outlet further said that – according to its sources – about 150 croupiers, 200 supervisors and 25 pit managers had been “let go in recent weeks, either via voluntary retrenchment or termination of services”. The report carried Thursday’s date.

The newspaper suggested a reduction in staff at Resorts World Sentosa was linked to a decrease in the number of Chinese high rollers at the casino. The outlet attributed that to a combination of the crackdown led by China’s President Xi Jinping, against corruption on the Chinese mainland, and a slowdown in the Chinese economy.

Genting Singapore in May reported a first quarter net profit attributable to shareholders amounting to SGD10.8 million (US$7.9 million), down by 83 percent from the prior-year period.

Investment bank Morgan Stanley had said in a note that VIP volume for the first quarter at Genting Singapore – which operates Resorts World Sentosa as its sole casino asset – declined 29 percent year-on-year.

Friday’s joint statement from Resorts World Sentosa and AREU regarding the Resorts World Sentosa workforce noted the union “was informed of this review process in early May”.

The joint statement added: “AREU has advised Resorts World Sentosa to consider alternative ways of managing its manpower where possible. These could include upskilling [sic] employees and redesigning jobs, as well as redeploying affected workers to work in other functions within the company.”

The document added that the two sides were working together to “ensure fair compensation and treatment” for the affected employees, and would also cooperate to provide training and job placement assistance for workers that were affected by the review.

A separate statement, attributable to “a Resorts World Sentosa spokesperson”, said the casino resort had adopted – as part of the manpower revision process – the “Tripartite Guidelines on Managing Excess Manpower”, endorsed by Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower.

It added: “We are also offering an upfront SGD1,500 training grant payout for local employees as well as paying their union membership fee for another 12 months. This will enable them to continue to enjoy membership benefits, including support for job searches, training and social benefits.”