MANILA – The migrants’ rights group Migrante-Middle East has urged the Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz to seek assistance from her Saudi counterpart to resolve the long standing woes by the 950 Filipino workers there.
Riyadh-based John Leonard Monterona, M-ME regional coordinator, said the Filipinos working for Mohammed Al Mojil Group of Companies, a contractor for Saudi Aramco, are on their fourth month “stop work” protest after a deadlock in negotiations with their employer.
They accused their employer of not complying to the terms and conditions of the OFWs employment contract.
“The 950 OFWs were victim of contract violations such as delayed payment of salary, working without Iqama (residence ID), others who have been working for 10 to 15 years were not given entitlement such as end of service benefits, and they were not allowed to go vacation though they already successfully completed their 2-year contract; some of them were deployed but no actual job assigned as per their respective job applied,” Monterona said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.
Monterona said the OFWs from 5 various job sites have stopped working since July 2014. Those at MMG – Jubail Camp 2 with 500 OFWs; MMG – Yanbu Camp site with 100 OFWs; MMG – WASIT SK Camp 150 OFWs; MMG – Shaybah Camp site 100 OFWs; and those at MMG – Dharan Camp site with 100 OFWs.
Monterona criticized Baldoz for her alleged failure in solving the labor woes of the Filipino workers. “When it comes to peddling OFWs human labor as cheap as a commodity, Baldoz and her department are only willing to spend huge amount and devout their time, while in providing assistance to distressed and problematic OFWs due to numerous labor rights violations she failed to help solve the woes of our fellow OFWs.”
“Baldoz and President Benigno Aquino have one thing in common. They’re both heartless and don’t really care for our OFWs,” Monterona said, adding that the families and dependents of the 950 OFWs have suffered a lot.
He said many of the OFWs have completed their 2-year contract and in fact have extended for a year or two. “Baldoz should organize and send a high-level delegation to Saudi Arabia and discuss the OFW labor woes and thereby find a solution to their labor problem,” he said.
Monterona said the OFWs were also demanding for their 3-month unpaid salary and the 21-day paid vacation leave and end of service benefits, particularly for those who have completed their contract. (Mindanao Examiner)
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