It’s MECO that’s making false reports on retrenched OFWs, says migrant group
MANILA, Philippines — A Hong Kong-based migrant workers group on Thursday said it was the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO), not Migrante International, that was making false reports on retrenched Filipino workers in Taiwan.
In a press statement, the Asia Pacific Migrants Mission (APPM) said the Philippine Labor Attaché in Taipei, Rodolfo M. Sabulao, even wittingly became the spokesperson of ASE (Advanced Semi-Conductor Engineering Co. Ltd.) when he defended the company for not paying in full the airfare of the retrenched workers.
“All original employment contracts signed in the Philippines under Article 4.6 stipulates that the employer must shoulder the air ticket from Manila to Taiwan and upon termination of the contract from Taiwan to Manila. So why should Mr. Sabulao have to haggle for this?" APPM said in reaction to Sabulao’s report that negotiations were going on in behalf of the retrenched workers.
“The problem is when both the POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration) and labor attaché tolerate the inclusion of an addendum to the contract even when this is signed in the Philippines which stipulates otherwise. This is very common for OFWs in Taiwan and in effect, both the POEA and labor attaché are party to the offense of contract substitution," APMM coordinator Gi Estrada said.
“But even if this is not the case, is it not the responsibility of the Philippine government to provide the airfare of its nationals especially when these are not provided in part or in full by the employers and/or placement agencies? Is this not what is stipulated in the Magna Carta for OFWs?" Estrada argued.
APPM found it odd that the Philippine government boasts that it has funds for the retraining and reintegration of retrenched OFWs of up to P250 million caused by the global recession but it has nothing for their airfare.
APPM also noted that ASE is not just an ordinary company in Taiwan and “it is not losing money as Mr. Sabulao wants us to believe.
ASE is the world's biggest chip packager and employs 30,000 in Taiwan including over a thousand OFWs," the group said.
APMM said ASE earned a net income of 8,252.8 billion Taiwan dollars (US$246 million) since the last quarter of 2007 up to the third quarter of this year.
APPM said the company failed to make a report on the second quarter of this year on July 2, 2008, but reported a net income alone on the third quarter of this year up to Oct. 2, 2008 of NT$2,211.9 billion (US$66,144,544).
“For the month of November, the company reported net revenues of NT$6,140 million compared with net revenues of NT$9,566 million for the same period a year ago. So meaning its net revenues and net earnings lowered but still they earned money. So why did the labor attaché publicly state that ASE can only afford to give NT$1,500 to each OFW retrenched?" the group asked.
APPM also noted that ASE, like other companies, is forcing its workers to sign a “no-work no-pay policy" and that those who refused to be intimidated to sign were the ones who terminated the contract.
Migrante-Taiwan earlier reported that the workers were not allowed to leave the conference room unless they signed the no work no pay policy.
A similar case happened to OFWs who were retrenched in Coin Chemical Co., APPM said, adding that “Sabulao was not so gallant then to the workers when he stated that the OFWs are not anymore minors and they know what is right and wrong when they are being (forced) to sign such unjust agreements which are legal under Taiwanese laws. This is the standard (SOP) answer of all MECO officials since time immemorial."
The group said some 600 OFWs in ASE Chungli will be sent home soon this month and more than 400 in its main branch in Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan.
“The employment contract of those in Kaohsiung would end by February and March next year but the company would send them home the earliest on December 16. MECO should ensure that the OFWs are paid fully for the 2 to 3 months wage of their remaining contract," APPM’s Estrada said.
“As for Mr. Sabulao and like-minded officials in MECO, they should rather resign from their positions if they cannot uphold the basic rights of the migrant workers they are supposedly sworn to serve and instead become the mouthpieces of the employers and even placement agencies in Taiwan," APMM said. - GMANews.TV
In a press statement, the Asia Pacific Migrants Mission (APPM) said the Philippine Labor Attaché in Taipei, Rodolfo M. Sabulao, even wittingly became the spokesperson of ASE (Advanced Semi-Conductor Engineering Co. Ltd.) when he defended the company for not paying in full the airfare of the retrenched workers.
“All original employment contracts signed in the Philippines under Article 4.6 stipulates that the employer must shoulder the air ticket from Manila to Taiwan and upon termination of the contract from Taiwan to Manila. So why should Mr. Sabulao have to haggle for this?" APPM said in reaction to Sabulao’s report that negotiations were going on in behalf of the retrenched workers.
“The problem is when both the POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration) and labor attaché tolerate the inclusion of an addendum to the contract even when this is signed in the Philippines which stipulates otherwise. This is very common for OFWs in Taiwan and in effect, both the POEA and labor attaché are party to the offense of contract substitution," APMM coordinator Gi Estrada said.
“But even if this is not the case, is it not the responsibility of the Philippine government to provide the airfare of its nationals especially when these are not provided in part or in full by the employers and/or placement agencies? Is this not what is stipulated in the Magna Carta for OFWs?" Estrada argued.
APPM found it odd that the Philippine government boasts that it has funds for the retraining and reintegration of retrenched OFWs of up to P250 million caused by the global recession but it has nothing for their airfare.
APPM also noted that ASE is not just an ordinary company in Taiwan and “it is not losing money as Mr. Sabulao wants us to believe.
ASE is the world's biggest chip packager and employs 30,000 in Taiwan including over a thousand OFWs," the group said.
APMM said ASE earned a net income of 8,252.8 billion Taiwan dollars (US$246 million) since the last quarter of 2007 up to the third quarter of this year.
APPM said the company failed to make a report on the second quarter of this year on July 2, 2008, but reported a net income alone on the third quarter of this year up to Oct. 2, 2008 of NT$2,211.9 billion (US$66,144,544).
“For the month of November, the company reported net revenues of NT$6,140 million compared with net revenues of NT$9,566 million for the same period a year ago. So meaning its net revenues and net earnings lowered but still they earned money. So why did the labor attaché publicly state that ASE can only afford to give NT$1,500 to each OFW retrenched?" the group asked.
APPM also noted that ASE, like other companies, is forcing its workers to sign a “no-work no-pay policy" and that those who refused to be intimidated to sign were the ones who terminated the contract.
Migrante-Taiwan earlier reported that the workers were not allowed to leave the conference room unless they signed the no work no pay policy.
A similar case happened to OFWs who were retrenched in Coin Chemical Co., APPM said, adding that “Sabulao was not so gallant then to the workers when he stated that the OFWs are not anymore minors and they know what is right and wrong when they are being (forced) to sign such unjust agreements which are legal under Taiwanese laws. This is the standard (SOP) answer of all MECO officials since time immemorial."
The group said some 600 OFWs in ASE Chungli will be sent home soon this month and more than 400 in its main branch in Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan.
“The employment contract of those in Kaohsiung would end by February and March next year but the company would send them home the earliest on December 16. MECO should ensure that the OFWs are paid fully for the 2 to 3 months wage of their remaining contract," APPM’s Estrada said.
“As for Mr. Sabulao and like-minded officials in MECO, they should rather resign from their positions if they cannot uphold the basic rights of the migrant workers they are supposedly sworn to serve and instead become the mouthpieces of the employers and even placement agencies in Taiwan," APMM said. - GMANews.TV
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