150 OFWs appeal for help from POLO in Al khobar over unpaid salaries


By RONALDO CONCHA
A total of 150 OFWs last Tuesday trooped to the Philippine labor office in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia to ask assistance in claiming their unpaid salaries.
Saying they have not been paid their wages for three up to six months, 150 Filipino workers from Azmeel Contracting Company decided to raise their complaints to the Philippine Overseas labor Office (POLO) in hopes they could get the money due them.
They come from various camps of the company in Saudi Arabia's eastern region, complaining they have not been paid their salaries, equivalent to three and up to six working months.
The workers said their residence permits or iqama are already expired, and that they have not been able to renew the document.
One of the workers, Jerald Caronan, told GMA News that he works as a painter at Azmeel camp based in Jubai in the Eastern Province, and they have not been paid their salaries for five months.
He said they have filed a labor complaint but the case is not moving in court, thus the have decided to ask help from the POLO-Al Khobar.
"Gusto na po namin lahat umuwi ng Pilipinas at makuha mga sahod namin sir, nagugutom na kami pati ang pamilya namin," Caronan said.
The Philippine Embassy and the POLO have called for a meeting in the Azmeel management to address the workers' woes.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, OWWA Administrator Hans Cacdac, and other Philippine officials from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Department of Foreign affairs flew to Saudi Arabia last Tuesday to attend to the needs of the distressed Filipino workers.
In a press statement, Bello said government agencies are set to assist the 1,470 distressed OFWs at Azmeel for their eventual repatriation. —LBG, GMA news

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