MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 5, 2012) – Dozens of Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia who filed various cases against their employers accused Philippine labor officials of neglecting them.
About 60 workers, who are now temporarily staying at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Riyadh, said Ambassador Ezzadin Tago and Labor Attaché Albert Valenciano failed to assist them.
They were part of some 200 Filipinos working for Al-Swayeh, Al Dalawi, Al Zahran and two other companies accused of violating labor laws.
The workers – who are demanding payments of their unpaid salaries and other labor benefits – previously staged a hunger strike to dramatize their protest. Some of the workers had already been repatriated last month.
The Riyadh-based KGS-Migrante headed by Eric Jocson said they are now assisting the Filipinos. “We are assisting the distressed OFWs in calculating their claims such as end of service benefits and unpaid salaries,” he said.
The Department of Labor and Employment and Philippine Overseas Employment Administration have formed a team to see the plight of the distressed workers.
John Leonard Monterona, regional coordinator of the Migrante-Middle East, said the team should focus its investigation on the workers’ allegations that they were not attended by Filipino officials in Saudi.
“DoLE-POEA’s probe team must speak directly to the distressed OFWs. The investigation must be transparent as its purpose is doubted by the distressed OFWs,” Monterona said.
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