Here is another sad news about our modern day heroes. Some of our OFWs, holding temporary visas, are being maltreated in their work, and sometimes, unpaid.
This serves as a calling to all wealthy professional OFWs to return back to the Philippines and establish businesses here so that our less fortunate, abused OFWs will have a job here and never sacrifice everything for the sake of materialism gratification or primary necessity satisfaction.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has warned Fillipinos against using commercial visas to be able to work in Kuwait.
DOLE has been receiving complaints that Filipino workers deployed to Kuwait on commercial visas have been encountering problems such as unpaid salaries, maltreatment or harassment, and unissued residence and work visas.
The Fillipinos complained on their work conditions in the following companies in Kuwait, according to the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) based in the Arab state:
MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has warned Fillipinos against using commercial visas to be able to work in Kuwait.
DOLE has been receiving complaints that Filipino workers deployed to Kuwait on commercial visas have been encountering problems such as unpaid salaries, maltreatment or harassment, and unissued residence and work visas.
The Fillipinos complained on their work conditions in the following companies in Kuwait, according to the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) based in the Arab state:
Next Spa Salon
Al Wazzan Home Care
Al Bremi International
Basco Camp
Latino Spa
Arabtec Construction Co.
SITCO Group of Companies and
Raneem Beauty Salon
Philippine Labor Attache to Kuwait David Des T. Dicang said his office had observed that in some of these companies, "suprisingly large numbers" of workers had been hired through commercial visas.
He cited the case of Raneem Beauty Salon "where 47 workers were processed on commercial visas for only one company."
Kuwaiti commercial visit visa is only for job assessment or interview, and not actual employment, according to the DOLE.
"A worker on a commercial visa is supposed to travel back to his country of origin and return to Kuwait on a work visa. But in reality, companies in Kuwait getting workers on commercial visa convert the commercial visas into work visa since this is a faster and less-cumbersome way to employ workers from the Philippines," said Dicang.
"Some Filipino workers on commercial visas are sometimes required to exit Kuwait to a third country, such as Bahrain, and return to Kuwait at the workers' expense to process their work visas," he added.
This practice has made it difficult for the POLO to address the complaints of Filipino workers deployed to Kuwait on this type of visa.
The Philippine government will be in no position to verify the terms and conditions of a Filipino's employment in Kuwait if he or she went to the Arab state on a commercial visa that was converted into a work visa.
In most cases, the worker is not provided a copy of an employment contract or does not have one, according to Dicang.
Moreover, A Filipino who has worked in Kuwait on a commercial visa will have no right to file employment-related complaints before the Arab state's Ministry of Labor or Shuon.
"As a last resort, a worker with an expired visa will have to pay hefty penalty fees or karama, or else submit to detention and subsequent deportation," said Dicang.
"The POLO cannot also compel any agency to resolve the problems of a worker in case a company/sponsor does not cooperate and does not fulfill its obligations, since a worker on a commercial visa is deployed irregularly and not through a licensed recruitment agency," he added.
Dicang cited the case of one Randy de Ocampo who had requested POLO assistance about his situation.
According to Ocampo, he had sent a copy of his passport via email to a friend in Kuwait last June 30. On July 4, he received his commercial visa by courier under the sponsorship of Al-Wazan United Company for Trading and Contracting. On July 27, De Ocampo arrived in Kuwait on a one-month commercial visa.
Dicang said De Ocampo did not report to his sponsor because he could not make up his mind to work with the company as a masseur under its branch, Philippine Spa.
"He said he realized that this was not the kind of employment he wanted for himself, he being a forestry graduate from the University of the Philippines. Soon, we received a report that De Ocampo’s visa has expired," Dicang said.
DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz has instructed the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration to look into this matter in coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs, Bureau of Immigration, and other concerned government agencies.
Article Source: Interaksyon.com, The Official News Portal of TV5
