34 OFWs on strike in Madagascar return home

At least 34 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who went on strike over a labor dispute in Madagascar arrived home Sunday night, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Monday. Representatives from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) welcomed the 34 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and promised to provide them with appropriate assistance, according to the DFA Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs. "The 34 OFWs were part of those employed by the Kentz Engineers and Constructors in the Ambatovy Mining site in Tamatave, Madagascar who went on strike weeks ago over delayed payment of salaries, non-payment of overtime pay, unsuitable and overcrowded accommodations, among others," the DFA said in an article posted on its website. While the strikes had ceased, the lack of available flights during the holiday rush previously caused some difficulty in securing flights for the 34 OFWs, the DFA said. The DFA said the Philippine Embassy in Nairobi, which has jurisdiction over Filipinos in Madagascar, has called the attention of the Kentz Engineers and Constructors to the complaints of the OFWs. It also said the Philippine Embassy urged Kentz to address them promptly and to give priority to the repatriation of the OFWs awaiting repatriation. According to the DFA, Kentz Engineers and Constructors assured the Embassy that the company is doing its utmost to address the concerns and will repatriate the workers who wish to go back to the Philippines. The DFA said the Philippine Embassy is now coordinating with the representatives of the workers and the Philippine Society of Madagascar to facilitate assistance to the remaining workers and to ensure that their rights are respected. Also, the DFA-OUMWA is coordinating with the OFWs' placement agencies in Manila for appropriate assistance. The Embassy conducted two consular missions to Madagascar in the previous year. Two embassy officials visited the Ambatovy worksite last October 2010 but then there were no complaints yet about working and living conditions. Government records show that the number of OFWs deployed to Madagascar began increasing in 2007, when 166 workers were sent there, up from just 23 in the previous year. In 2009, over 1,000 Filipino workers were sent to the east African island nation. The Commission on Filipinos Overseas estimates that of over 23,000 Filipinos in Madagascar in December 2009, only 77 were permanent residents. The rest were temporary workers. There are no Philippine government offices in Madagascar. The Philippine Embassy in Kenya — over 2,200 kilometers away from Madagascar — has jurisdiction over Filipinos residing or working in that island nation. - KBK, GMANews.TV