60,000 Pinoy domestic workers to benefit as PHL-Saudi labor pact takes effect

A labor agreement that will benefit at least 60,000 Filipino household workers in Saudi Arabia took effect Sunday after it was signed by labor officials of the Philippines and Saudi Arabia.

 

Philippine Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz and Saudi Deputy Labor Minister Mufarrej bin Saad Al-Haqbani exchanged documents after signing the pact, Arab News reported Monday.

 

“We expect that 60,000 out of an estimated 670,000 OFWs in Saudi Arabia will immediately benefit from this agreement, which lays down areas of cooperation between the two countries,” said Baldoz in a news release.

 

She added that the agreement is historic and "heralds an era of stronger bilateral labor cooperation between the Philippines and Saudi Arabia for the protection and welfare of Filipino HSWs in the Kingdom."

 

HSWs include housemaids, baby sitters, laundrywomen, family drivers, cooks and gardeners.

 

Arab News reported the agreement is the first by the Saudi Ministry of Labor with a manpower-supplying country.

 

Last year, both countries agreed on a standard labor contract that will govern the employment of HSWs in the Kingdom.

 

The agreement is good for five years and can be extended automatically for similar periods.

 

Under the agreement, a joint working group will be formed to regularly meet and discuss the problems of HSWs.

Provisions

 

The agreement will include:

 

- A mutually acceptable recruitment and deployment system

- The recruitment of domestic workers through agencies that practice ethical recruitment and are licensed by their respective governments

- Prohibition of charging or deducting any cost related to recruitment and deployment from the worker's salary

- The right of recourse to authorities in case of contractual disputes

- Legal measures against recruitment offices, companies or agencies for violation of applicable laws, rules and regulations

- Resolution of any issue arising from the implementation and enforcement of the agreement.

 

Benefits

 

Under the agreement, HSWs will get a minimum monthly salary of SR1,500, weekly rest days and daily rest periods, paid vacation leave, non-withholding of passports and work permits, free communication and humane treatment.

 

The specific responsibilities for Saudi Arabia include:

 

- authenticity of the employment contract

- opening of a bank account in the name of the domestic worker

- a 24-hour mechanism for domestic workers' assistance

- expeditious settlement of labor contract violation cases

- facilitation of exit visas for repatriation upon contract completion or during emergency situations.

 

For the Philippines, the responsibilities include ensuring that workers are qualified and medically fit, with no derogatory record and verification of all employment contracts submitted by Saudi recruitment offices.

 

Joint committee meeting

 

Baldoz said the Philippines is willing to host the first meeting of the Joint Committee in Manila and invited Labor Minister Adel Fakeih to attend it.

 

She thanked Philippine Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ezzedin Tago, Consul General Uriel Norman Garibay and the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate General in Jeddah for their support.

Leniency for undocumented OFWs

 

Meanwhile, Baldoz expressed appreciation for the Saudi leniency for undocumented OFWs.

 

She urged the OFWs to abide by the guidelines and rectify their status in the Kingdom for their welfare, benefit and interest.

 

“I warmly welcome the guidelines and express my gratitude to the Saudi government for its timely issuance,” she said.

 

She noted that the circular entitled “Procedures and exemptions for grace period to rectify status” issued on May 10 applies to OFWs whose continued stay in Saudi Arabia is deemed illegal and provides them with two options to legalize their stay.

 

They can return to the Philippines or stay and transfer residency to a new employer. The guidelines will take effect until July 3 when the grace period expires.

 

For undocumented OFWs who have expressed a desire to go home, Baldoz said the Saudi government has exempted them from paying residency permit charges and working permit penalties.

 

But she said those who have not been fingerprinted before need to have their fingerprints taken and secure exit clearance from the Saudi Passports Department.

 

Labor Attachés Alejandro Padaen and Adam Musa said there are about 10,000 undocumented OFWs, including 3,500 in Riyadh and 6,500 in Jeddah, who have been registered and profiled since the campaign against illegal workers intensified.

 

They said about 43 percent of undocumented OFWs camping out near the Philippine Consulate wanted to go home, while 57 percent have expressed desire to stay.

 

'Historic'

 

The agreement was signed in a ceremony described by Baldoz as "historic" at the Hilton Jeddah hotel, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration said.

 

The signing followed last year's agreement on a Standard Employment Contract which shall be followed by employers and Filipino HSWs in Saudi Arabia.

 

"We expect that this Agreement will increase the number of HSWs employed in Saudi Arabia, but we are very confident that cases of abuse will be less because the Agreement ensures fair and humane treatment of our HSWs and involves not only the government but also the private recruitment agencies and other stakeholders in its implementation," said Baldoz in a Facebook post.

 

She added the agreement is "very historic because this is the first time that Saudi Arabia is signing such a kind of agreement with a labor-sending country in the world."

 

Witnessing the signing for the Philippines were:

 

Philippine Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ezzedin Tago

Consul General Uriel Norman Garibay

Consul Leo Tito Ausan Jr.

Consul Germinia Aguilar-Usudan

Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Administrator Carmelita Dimzon

Philippine Overseas Employment Administration Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac

Labor Attache Adam Musa

Labor Attache Alejandro Padaen

Assistant Labor Attache Alejandro Insa Cruz

 

Witnessing for Saudi Arabia were:

 

Dr. Mofarej Saad Alhoqubani, Labor Vice Minister

Ahmed Alfehaid, Deputy Minister for International Relations

Hattab Saleh Alenezi, Adviser and General Supervisor of Public Relations and Information - VVP, GMA News