RP, UAE labor pact to reduce contract substitution

United Arab Emirates and Philippine labor officials expect that the memorandum of understanding (MOU) they signed on April 9 would minimize, if not eradicate, “contract substitution" that exposes Filipino contract workers to mistreatment and abuses. Maria Teresa Taguiang, Consul-General of the Philippine Embassy, was quoted in a story that appeared in UAE's Khaleej Times as saying that the MOU prescribes UAE employers to draw up the individual labor contracts, Filipino workers sign them, and UAE authorities verify the agreements and put them in the Ministry’s database. The process would eliminate contract substitution, which happens when employers force Filipino workers to sign another contract upon arriving in the UAE, Taguiang said. The stipulations in the “new" contract greatly vary from the ones workers originally signed while they were still in the Philippines. This illegal practice most often forces workers to accept lower wages, endure unsuitable living conditions and harsh work environments. “Given this point, we can rest assured that the workers will not sign a contract in the Philippines that does not have the same terms as indicated in the UAE Ministry of Labor’s records," Taguiang said. The agreement will be valid for five years and will be automatically renewable thereafter. The MOU provides the setting up of a joint committee composed of Philippine and UAE representatives that will draft a model employment contract. The committee will meet on a regular basis to discuss and resolve any problems associated with the MOU. –GMANews.TV