Protesting OFWs in Saudi ask RP to repatriate them

Protesting overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in Saudi Arabia who refuse to return to work due to alleged unfair labor practices by their company have called anew on the Philippine government to work for their repatriation. The 88 OFWs in Riyadh, who have been waiting to be sent back home for almost three months now, have gone to the extent of planning to stage a hunger strike to compel the government to speed up efforts for their repatriation, migrant workers group Migrante-Middle East (ME) said in a statement Monday. The distressed OFWs stopped working on Oct. 12 last year after complaining of unjust labor practices by their employer, operation and construction firm Annasban Group. Their complaints included unauthorized salary reduction, illegal salary deduction and delayed payment of salary. [See: 89 OFWs in KSA seek repatriation] Migrante-ME regional coordinator John Leonard Monterona said one of the messages he received read, “Kung ganun lang po na matagal pa ang desisyon at mag-antay kami ng mag-antay, so napag-desisyunan ng grupo namin na mag-hunger strike kami. Kasi baka akala ng mga aming employer masaya kami sa mga supply na binibigay sa amin." (If the decision would take too long and we are made to wait and wait, our group has decided to stage a hunger strike. Our employer might think that we’re happy with the supplies being given to us.) The 88 OFWs are currently staying in Riyadh at a company-provided accommodation, according to Monterona. Another message read, “Hindi na po kami tatanggap ng pagkain galing dyan sa embassy… Wala na po tutulong sa amin kahit ang govt natin. Hanggang kailan kami mag-aantay?" (We will not accept food from the embassy anymore. No one is helping us, even our government. How long do we have to wait?) The Department of Foreign Affairs earlier issued a statement on Nov. 3 last year that the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Riyadh is discussing with Annasban the distressed OFWs’ repatriation “at the soonest possible time." The workers’ repatriation, however, remains uncertain to this date, according to Monterona. “We are urging the POLO in Riyadh to once and for all talk to the distressed OFWs’ employer for it to issue them an exit clearance (exit visa) so that they could be home without further delay," Monterona said. Migrante-ME disclosed that according to the protesting OFWs, they were asked by Annasban to sign a different contract upon their arrival at Saudi, where the terms and conditions, such as the salary rate, are different from the original contract they signed in the Philippines with their recruitment agencies. The workers’ salary was reduced to SR650 (P7,800) from SR950 (P11,400), and they were also not given medical insurance as stated in the original contract, according to Monterona. Annasban is also charging each of the workers a deployment cost amounting to SR4,000-8,000 (P48,000-96,000) “The deployment cost should only be paid by the OFWs if they intentionally breached the contract; but in this case, it is the employer (who breached the contract)," Monterona said. He added that the recruitment agencies in the Philippines of some of the OFWs are willing to pay for the tickets for their repatriation, while Migrante’s Manila office is coordinating with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to provide tickets for the other workers. Annasban, however, has yet to issue exit visas to the OFWs for them to be sent back home, Monterona said. The protesting workers originally numbered to 89, but one was repatriated on Nov. 26 following the death of her husband in Palawan. – Jerrie M. Abella/JV, GMANews.TV