Case of Riyadh OFWs resolved, says labor attaché
RONALDO Z. CONCHA
JEDDAH - The head of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Riyadh said Wednesday, January 13, that the case of more than 40 Filipino caregivers who went on hunger strike in the Saudi capital has been resolved.
Labor attaché Rustico Dela Fuente assured the workers that an agreement had been reached with the workers’ employer and that they would be able to leave as soon as their exit papers are released.
Head count
In a phone interview, Dela Fuente stated, “Nakatutok tayo sa kaso ng mga caregivers at ginagawan natin ng paraan na mapauwi sila pero siyempre kailangan din natin maisaayos ito sa tamang proseso. Responsibilidad din ito ng kanilang mga ahensya sa Pilipinas bagamat nakikita ko naman ang kanilang kooperasyon para maresolba ang problemang ito. Sa katunayan may tatlong ahensya ang dumalaw na dito>," he said.
(“We’re looking into the case of the caregivers and we’re doing everything to be able to send them home, but of course we have to do this through the right process. This is also the responsibility of their agencies in the Philippines and we see that they have been cooperating to resolve this problem. In fact, three agencies have already sent their representatives here.")
On October 12, 2009, three separate groups of OFWs deployed in Annasban decided to stop working to call attention to their company’s alleged violations of their employment contract, and they have since been locked up in "crowded and unhealthy" structures, according to migrants’ rights group Migrante. [See: "Protesting OFWs in Saudi ask RP to repatriate them"]
But figures obtained from Riyadh show only 51 Annasban workers went on strike in October last year. Four have already been repatriated, three of whom paid the expenses demanded by the employer, while the fourth one’s exit was facilitated by her agency when her husband died, according to Dela Fuente.
Dela Fuente added that another four have also reportedly vacated the living quarters provided by their company and are suspected by their colleagues to have returned to work. This brings the number of the remaining OFWs to 43.
Migrante’s records and communication with the OFWs families in the Philippines, however, show there are still 88 OFWs under the custody of Annasban.
Repatriation issues
The employer, Riyadh-based multimillion conglomerate Annasban Group, has agreed to secure exit visas once the expenses it incurred in hiring the workers are paid. The company is asking for SR4,000 (P48,760 Pesos) to SR8,000 (P92,889) for each worker to cover deployment costs.
“There will be no out-of-pocket expenses on the workers. Their agencies are cooperating with Annasban," Dela Fuentes said, though it remains unclear as to who will pay the deployment costs or if such will be paid at all.
Migrante-Middle East earlier said that Annasban should not be paid for deployment costs, since it was they who violated the employment contracts.
Then again, Dela Fuente said Annasban has been adamant about demanding a refund of its expenses in bringing the workers to the Kingdom, arguing that they have yet to complete their two-year contracts.
Steadfast strikers
Despite the POLO’s assurance, a spokesperson for the workers who identified herself only as Eppie told GMANews.TV Wednesday night that they will not stop their hunger strike until at least one of them has been repatriated.
“Kung hindi kami matulungan ng ating gobyerno, mabuti pa tuluyan na kaming mamatay dito," Eppie said.
(“If the government would not be able to help us, we might as well die here.")
One of the hunger strikers is Annie Maclang of Pampanga, who was barely one month into her job when the group decided to stop working last year to protest Annasban’s alleged abuses and unfair labor practices.
Maclang said she agreed to work for Annasban with the understanding that she would be paid 950 riyals (P11,400) a month. When she came to Riyadh, however, she was made to sign a new contract stating that she would receive only 650 riyals (P7,923), with 100 riyals to be deducted every month as payment of her placement fee with the agency that recruited her in the Philippines.
“Bukod pa diyan, sagot ko ang aking pagkain. Kaya sa katulad ko na single parent na may tatlong anak na mga nag-aaral sa high school, ano pa ang maipapadala ko sa pamilya ko sa Pilipinas?" a dismayed Maclang lamented.
(“Aside from that, I also have to spend for my food. For someone like me whi is a single parent with three children in high school, there would be nothing left in my salary for me to send to my family in the Philippines.")
Apart from reduced salaries, the workers also complained of being made to work more than 12 hours a day without overtime pay. They also were not covered by health insurance.
Second case scenario
The case of the striking Annasban workers was the second for the company for the past five months.
In September 2009, 23 of Annasban’s workers at the Baljurashi Rehabilitation Center in the southeastern province of Al-Baha went on strike, complaining that their employer reduced their salaries and refused to pay their agreed food allowance. They also complained of poor accommodation facilities.
This has prompted Migrante to call for a permanent banning of Annasban from hiring OFWs in light of the numerous complaints the group received against the company. [See: "Group seeks permanent ban of ‘notorious’ Saudi firm for detaining 88 OFWs"]
Dela Fuente said the priority of the POLO right now is to bring the distressed Annasban workers home so that they could look for better job opportunities.
Under Saudi labor law, running away from an employer or going on strike are prohibited acts. Workers who have complaints are encouraged instead to file complaints with the Labor Ministry.
Many expatriate workers, however, find themselves helpless when their employers retaliate against them for filing complaints. -FVI, GMANews.TV
JEDDAH - The head of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Riyadh said Wednesday, January 13, that the case of more than 40 Filipino caregivers who went on hunger strike in the Saudi capital has been resolved.
Labor attaché Rustico Dela Fuente assured the workers that an agreement had been reached with the workers’ employer and that they would be able to leave as soon as their exit papers are released.
Head count
In a phone interview, Dela Fuente stated, “Nakatutok tayo sa kaso ng mga caregivers at ginagawan natin ng paraan na mapauwi sila pero siyempre kailangan din natin maisaayos ito sa tamang proseso. Responsibilidad din ito ng kanilang mga ahensya sa Pilipinas bagamat nakikita ko naman ang kanilang kooperasyon para maresolba ang problemang ito. Sa katunayan may tatlong ahensya ang dumalaw na dito>," he said.
(“We’re looking into the case of the caregivers and we’re doing everything to be able to send them home, but of course we have to do this through the right process. This is also the responsibility of their agencies in the Philippines and we see that they have been cooperating to resolve this problem. In fact, three agencies have already sent their representatives here.")
On October 12, 2009, three separate groups of OFWs deployed in Annasban decided to stop working to call attention to their company’s alleged violations of their employment contract, and they have since been locked up in "crowded and unhealthy" structures, according to migrants’ rights group Migrante. [See: "Protesting OFWs in Saudi ask RP to repatriate them"]
But figures obtained from Riyadh show only 51 Annasban workers went on strike in October last year. Four have already been repatriated, three of whom paid the expenses demanded by the employer, while the fourth one’s exit was facilitated by her agency when her husband died, according to Dela Fuente.
Dela Fuente added that another four have also reportedly vacated the living quarters provided by their company and are suspected by their colleagues to have returned to work. This brings the number of the remaining OFWs to 43.
Migrante’s records and communication with the OFWs families in the Philippines, however, show there are still 88 OFWs under the custody of Annasban.
Repatriation issues
The employer, Riyadh-based multimillion conglomerate Annasban Group, has agreed to secure exit visas once the expenses it incurred in hiring the workers are paid. The company is asking for SR4,000 (P48,760 Pesos) to SR8,000 (P92,889) for each worker to cover deployment costs.
“There will be no out-of-pocket expenses on the workers. Their agencies are cooperating with Annasban," Dela Fuentes said, though it remains unclear as to who will pay the deployment costs or if such will be paid at all.
Migrante-Middle East earlier said that Annasban should not be paid for deployment costs, since it was they who violated the employment contracts.
Then again, Dela Fuente said Annasban has been adamant about demanding a refund of its expenses in bringing the workers to the Kingdom, arguing that they have yet to complete their two-year contracts.
Steadfast strikers
Despite the POLO’s assurance, a spokesperson for the workers who identified herself only as Eppie told GMANews.TV Wednesday night that they will not stop their hunger strike until at least one of them has been repatriated.
“Kung hindi kami matulungan ng ating gobyerno, mabuti pa tuluyan na kaming mamatay dito," Eppie said.
(“If the government would not be able to help us, we might as well die here.")
One of the hunger strikers is Annie Maclang of Pampanga, who was barely one month into her job when the group decided to stop working last year to protest Annasban’s alleged abuses and unfair labor practices.
Maclang said she agreed to work for Annasban with the understanding that she would be paid 950 riyals (P11,400) a month. When she came to Riyadh, however, she was made to sign a new contract stating that she would receive only 650 riyals (P7,923), with 100 riyals to be deducted every month as payment of her placement fee with the agency that recruited her in the Philippines.
“Bukod pa diyan, sagot ko ang aking pagkain. Kaya sa katulad ko na single parent na may tatlong anak na mga nag-aaral sa high school, ano pa ang maipapadala ko sa pamilya ko sa Pilipinas?" a dismayed Maclang lamented.
(“Aside from that, I also have to spend for my food. For someone like me whi is a single parent with three children in high school, there would be nothing left in my salary for me to send to my family in the Philippines.")
Apart from reduced salaries, the workers also complained of being made to work more than 12 hours a day without overtime pay. They also were not covered by health insurance.
Second case scenario
The case of the striking Annasban workers was the second for the company for the past five months.
In September 2009, 23 of Annasban’s workers at the Baljurashi Rehabilitation Center in the southeastern province of Al-Baha went on strike, complaining that their employer reduced their salaries and refused to pay their agreed food allowance. They also complained of poor accommodation facilities.
This has prompted Migrante to call for a permanent banning of Annasban from hiring OFWs in light of the numerous complaints the group received against the company. [See: "Group seeks permanent ban of ‘notorious’ Saudi firm for detaining 88 OFWs"]
Dela Fuente said the priority of the POLO right now is to bring the distressed Annasban workers home so that they could look for better job opportunities.
Under Saudi labor law, running away from an employer or going on strike are prohibited acts. Workers who have complaints are encouraged instead to file complaints with the Labor Ministry.
Many expatriate workers, however, find themselves helpless when their employers retaliate against them for filing complaints. -FVI, GMANews.TV
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