Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Economics, government & businessJob creation and lossesSkills shortages

Unions view casino growth as a chance to boost jobs and skills

by dan thomas 16 Nov 2004
by dan thomas 16 Nov 2004

The potentially massive growth of the casino industry represents a chance to create thousands of jobs and improve the UK’s skills base, union leaders have insisted.

The Government’s proposals for new gambling laws, which mix new levels of regulation with the unprecedented development of resort casinos, have attracted widespread criticism. MPs, tabloid newspapers and business groups such as the CBI, claim the bill could lead to increased crime, chronic addiction and major money laundering.

But the GMB and Transport and General Workers Union, which represent casino workers in the UK, said the focus has been placed on the wrong area.

“The growth will create between 50,000 and 100,000 jobs – that seems to have been sidetracked,” said Paul Kenny, regional organiser at the GMB. “We see this as a great opportunity for job creation and training,” Kenny added. “If we are serious about things such as the 2012 Olympics, we need a commitment to training local people.”

Casino workers from the US, invited to the UK by the GMB to talk about working in the industry, said many of their large casino operators were focused on improving employees’ skills – for example, with training academies. And they said that many of the skills taught were transferable.

Despite dark warnings about the industry’s exploitation of low-paid workers, the large casino operators have already made assurances on employment terms and union agreements, Kenny said.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

“We are not prepared to allow this industry to grow unless it takes social responsibilities seriously,” he said.

“Part of that social responsibility is training people and giving them top-dollar wages,” he added. “There are not going to be any minimum wage jobs in this industry –full-stop.”



dan thomas

previous post
Jubilee line tube drivers threaten strike action on Christmas Eve
next post
Be safe, be secure

You may also like

Mansion House speech: will employers’ pension contributions rise?

15 Jul 2025

Postmasters could take ownership of Post Office

14 Jul 2025

Steep reduction in recruitment in June

14 Jul 2025

Port Talbot furnace construction begins, securing 5,000 jobs

14 Jul 2025

‘Replace sick notes with gym’, Streeting tells GPs

11 Jul 2025

Skills shortfall in construction threatens housing target

4 Jul 2025

MPs demand Home Office tightens visas to protect...

4 Jul 2025

Government publishes ‘roadmap’ for Employment Rights Bill

2 Jul 2025

Clarks cuts 1,200 jobs after ‘year of transition’

1 Jul 2025

Fall in entry-level jobs linked to rise of...

30 Jun 2025

  • Empower and engage for the future: A revolution in talent development (webinar) WEBINAR | As organisations strive...Read more
  • Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer holidays SPONSORED | Businesses play a...Read more
  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+