21 cheated Pinoy guards quit Kuwaiti employer
MANILA, Philippines - Exactly after two months of working for their “abusive" employer, 21 Filipino security guards now just want to go home to their families in the Philippines just in time for Christmas, an online report said on Tuesday.
According to the Arab Times, the security guards have finally decided to leave for home after negotiations between their company and Philippine Labor Attaché Josephus Jimenez failed.
The company allegedly failed to comply with the work contract it signed in the Philippines, placing the Filipino guards in “inhumane housing conditions" and making them work excessive hours without any rest day.
The workers told Arab Times that it was stated in their contract that they should only work for eight hours a day with one day off each week. However, they were made to work for 12 hours a day with no day off and overtime pay ever since they arrived in Kuwait on October 15.
After experiencing such an ordeal, they lodged a complaint against their employer with the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Kuwait City..
“We’re just asking what’s due us. They should give us our overtime pay plus at least one day off every week," said one of the security guards in the report.
Uncompromisingly 'inhumane'
Jimenez was quoted by Arab Times as saying the company refused to budge during the negotiations.
“We were hoping that this problem could be resolved amicably. In fact, I have already spoken with the representatives of the Philippine agency here. We even did the computation of the dues and they have agreed to talk to the company to solve the issue, but unfortunately, the company was not willing to compromise," he said.
The security guards told Arab Times that they had no choice but leave the place they were staying in after their operations manager and his staff allegedly threw all their clothes and belongings out of their accommodation last weekend.
“I tried to stop them to no avail. I could have fought back but I just kept my cool 'coz I don’t want to worsen the situation. He screamed at us and asked us to leave the accommodation and go back to the Philippines," said one of the workers.
The workers are temporarily staying at the Filipino Workers Resource Center, the shelter being maintained by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), pending trepatriation to the Philippines.
“We just want to go home as soon as possible after being treated inhumanely by this company. We will also ask the agency in the Philippines to give back our placement fee so we can start looking for a better job abroad but not in Kuwait anymore," said one of the distressed workers in the report.
Blacklisted
Jimenez said that having witnessed how unprofessional the company’s operations manager behaved, he will not let that company off the hook that easily.
“We will blacklist this company in Kuwait so it can’t victimize Filipinos anymore. We will also investigate the agency in the Philippines. We want to create decent jobs for Filipinos but treating Filipino workers unjustly is totally unacceptable," he said.
The labor attaché also said that he has informed the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) in Manila about the incident, while the agency Philippines agency that recruited the workers promised to shoulder the airfare of the unfortunate workers. - Kimberly Jane T. Tan, GMANews.TV
According to the Arab Times, the security guards have finally decided to leave for home after negotiations between their company and Philippine Labor Attaché Josephus Jimenez failed.
The company allegedly failed to comply with the work contract it signed in the Philippines, placing the Filipino guards in “inhumane housing conditions" and making them work excessive hours without any rest day.
The workers told Arab Times that it was stated in their contract that they should only work for eight hours a day with one day off each week. However, they were made to work for 12 hours a day with no day off and overtime pay ever since they arrived in Kuwait on October 15.
After experiencing such an ordeal, they lodged a complaint against their employer with the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Kuwait City..
“We’re just asking what’s due us. They should give us our overtime pay plus at least one day off every week," said one of the security guards in the report.
Uncompromisingly 'inhumane'
Jimenez was quoted by Arab Times as saying the company refused to budge during the negotiations.
“We were hoping that this problem could be resolved amicably. In fact, I have already spoken with the representatives of the Philippine agency here. We even did the computation of the dues and they have agreed to talk to the company to solve the issue, but unfortunately, the company was not willing to compromise," he said.
The security guards told Arab Times that they had no choice but leave the place they were staying in after their operations manager and his staff allegedly threw all their clothes and belongings out of their accommodation last weekend.
“I tried to stop them to no avail. I could have fought back but I just kept my cool 'coz I don’t want to worsen the situation. He screamed at us and asked us to leave the accommodation and go back to the Philippines," said one of the workers.
The workers are temporarily staying at the Filipino Workers Resource Center, the shelter being maintained by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), pending trepatriation to the Philippines.
“We just want to go home as soon as possible after being treated inhumanely by this company. We will also ask the agency in the Philippines to give back our placement fee so we can start looking for a better job abroad but not in Kuwait anymore," said one of the distressed workers in the report.
Blacklisted
Jimenez said that having witnessed how unprofessional the company’s operations manager behaved, he will not let that company off the hook that easily.
“We will blacklist this company in Kuwait so it can’t victimize Filipinos anymore. We will also investigate the agency in the Philippines. We want to create decent jobs for Filipinos but treating Filipino workers unjustly is totally unacceptable," he said.
The labor attaché also said that he has informed the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) in Manila about the incident, while the agency Philippines agency that recruited the workers promised to shoulder the airfare of the unfortunate workers. - Kimberly Jane T. Tan, GMANews.TV
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