50 OFWs in Libya abused by employer, group says

MANILA, Philippines - About 50 overseas Filipino workers (OFW) have complained of abusive working conditions and contract violations committed by their employer and recruiters, a group said.

Militant group Migrante International made the announcement on Wednesday after presenting four of the 50 OFWs who were reportedly “held hostage" and illegally terminated from their jobs as steel workers in Tripoli, Libya.

In a statement, Filipino workers Ruel Ramos, Robert Tulop, Nestor Rivera, and Henry Torres said they were abused by their employer Cifex World and recruitment agencies Aqua-Gem International Manpower Corporation and Sharikat Al-Saedi International Manpower Inc.

“I didn’t receive a single cent of my salary from my employer. Worse, I was made to work for 12 hours straight, seven days a week," a Migrante statement quoted 46-year-old Ramos, a native of Amadeo in Cavite, as saying.

Tulop, on the other hand, claimed that their contracts were violated when they were paid only $300 to $400 instead of the $520 pay which was clearly stipulated in their contracts.

“We were receiving far less than what is stated in our contracts. We were even made to work on Fridays which is considered a holiday in Libya, without overtime pay," he said.

In addition, he said the labor attaché and welfare officer in Libya “ignored" their complaints and even “sided with their employer."

The officials could not be immediately reached for comment.

Migrante said that when the workers refused to sign with the employer a deal saying they agree on a monthly salary of $408, they were reportedly taken out forcibly of ftheir job site by company guards and were brought to an undisclosed location some 30 kilometers away from Tripoli.

On April 5, the four were surprised when the guards reportedly barged inside their room and forced them to sign a termination letter. After signing, they said they were given a month’s salary and were immediately taken to the airport.

Migrante International chairperson Garry Martinez said his group fully supports the Congressional investigation sought on the alleged negligence of the Philippine Embassy in Libya and for the blacklisting of Cifex and the two recruitment agencies.

According to the records of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, both Aqua-Gem and Sharikat are still considered “in good standing" as manpower agencies. - Kimberly Jane T. Tan and D'Jay Lazaro, GMANews.TV

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