From UTSAJU, alarms have been raised about the impact that the reform would have on workers in the sector.
Spain.- Representatives of the Union of Gaming Hall Workers (UTSAJU) have estimated that, if approved in the current terms, the draft of the Foral Decree for the development of the Foral Gaming Law, would lead to the dismissal of about a hundred workers in the sector in Navarra in the long term.
The spokesperson for UTSAJU, Carlos Sola, explained that there are 56 gaming halls in Navarra employing about 300 people and that the decree project establishes the general closing time for bingo halls at 3:00 AM and for gaming halls at 0:30 AM and this could lead, in his opinion, to the loss of about a hundred jobs of «very vulnerable people of different nationalities».
In this regard, he highlighted that 80 percent of the workers in gaming halls are immigrants and 70 percent are women. Moreover, he emphasized that, should it occur, the dismissals would be for objective reasons.
Sola, who considered that this schedule will also increase online gaming, which is «a big problem», asked the parliamentarians to «rethink the issue of schedules» and that there should not be «a double standard».
Regarding the supposed link between gaming halls and violent incidents, he stated that very few files are opened for this reason. «There is much more violence on the streets than in the halls», he declared. The spokesperson therefore asked for action to be taken against the halls that are breaking laws, not those that are doing their job correctly.
The UPN parliamentarian Marta Álvarez commented that all groups agree that there should be control over gaming, but this regulation «affects many working people», especially immigrant women, and affects the equality of treatment between venues. For the PP, Javier García pointed out that the decree project «puts gaming halls in an unfavorable situation» and expressed his solidarity with «the more than 300 people affected by this decision».
Miguel Garrido, from Contigo-Zurekin, opined that the control of schedules «can be an effective measure», but noted that in his group they do not share that the difference in schedules between halls and bingos is for public safety. Therefore, he invited to reflect on «whether this difference is worth it or not».
See also: Spain: UTSAJU highlights the success of inspections in gaming halls in the Region of Murcia
