60 OFWs to lose jobs in Qatar due to company downsizing

Sixty OFWs are set to lose their jobs in Qatar this month as a result of cost-cutting measures being implemented by their employer, according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

Citing information from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Qatar, the DOLE said the contracts of the 60 workers are set to be terminated on April 17 "in view of company's down-sizing and cost-cutting measures."

The 60 OFWs are employed at Qatari Diar Vince Construction company. Some of them have been with the company for up to 10 years and "are occupying positions of consequence," the DOLE said.

OFW advocates have expressed fear of massive retrenchments in oil and construction companies in the Middle East as a result of the drastic decline in oil prices.

Though the situation may affect OFWs, the DOLE said it has not received any report of massive layoffs of Filipino workers in Middle Eastern companies.

In its latest report dated March 28 citing its POLOs in key OFW destinations in the Middle East, it said there is even an increase in job orders in places like Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and Al Khobar in Saudi Arabia.

In Dubai, "POLO reported that based on a year-ago comparison, the number of verified job order went up in March to 48 percent, or a total of 2,315 job vacancies, all in the service sector," the DOLE said.

On the other hand, the POLO in Al Khobar noted a "slight uptick" of 11-percent increase in verified job orders.

However, in Bahrain, the  POLO reported a drop from 40 to 24 job orders processed but an increase in the number of workers hired— from 113 to 191—between March 13 and 17.

"By and large, the above reports suggest that the on-going oil price fall has so far had no significant impact, hitherto, on OFWs currently employed," the DOLE said.

In Oman, the DOLE said the POLO noted an "absence of any noticeable disturbance in OFW employment situation... that may be the result of oil price drop." —KBK, GMA News