Critics charge that judges and prosecutors might have to compromise their independence to win support from the Council for renewal of their terms. The right of ultimate appeal to Portugal is being phased out in favor of a new local Superior Court. The government owns a controlling interest in the television and radio stations, although opposition views are generally aired. The press is private. As the handover approaches, self-censorship regarding China and the territory s future is increasing.
Women increasingly hold administrative posts but are underrepresented in politics.
The United Nations has raised concern over the trafficking of women from China, often by criminal gangs, into Macao for prostitution. Nearly all private sector workers belong to the pro-Beijing General Association of Workers, a confederation which is more a political organization than a labor advocate. A few private sector unions are independent of Beijing, as are two of the four public sector unions. Legislation protecting striking workers from dismissal is inadequate. Foreign workers often work for less than half the wages of Macao citizens, live in controlled dormitories, and owe substantial money to proxies for the purchase of their jobs.