Jinggoy prods DOLE: Settle Saudi OFWs salary row
THE government should aggressively pursue negotiations with the Saudi Arabian government to settle P4 billion worth of salary claims of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) with their employers that date as far back as 2016, Uniteam senatorial bet Jinggoy Estrada said.
A champion of labor rights, Estrada supported labor secretary Silvestre Bello III’s decision to maintain the suspension of OFW deployment to Saudi Arabia until the financial claims of some 11,000 OFWs are resolved.
“While I support the suspension, DOLE [Department of Labor and Employment] should move faster in representing the concerned OFWs and in resolving the issue once and for all since their livelihood and that of their families are at stake due to the delay,” he said.
Bello, in refusing to lift the ban, said he wanted to ensure that once the deployment of OFWs to Saudi Arabia resumes, their welfare in terms of receiving the salaries they deserve is protected.
In November 2021, Bello ordered labor attaches in Saudi Arabia to stop the verification of new contracts for household workers while a technical working group crafts new verification rules for their deployment.
Estrada noted that while the deployment ban sends a good message to the Saudi Arabian government about the Philippine government’s strong resolve to protect its citizens, “Many OFWs and families who rely on them suffer as collateral damage.”
Several representations have been made with Saudi Arabia regarding the problem that Bello said is expected to lead to a dialogue between him and representatives of the foreign government.
The former Senate President Pro Tempore advocated OFW welfare during his 12-year stint in the Senate. He served for 12 years as chairman of the Senate Labor Committee and was principal author and co-author of many bills protecting Filipino workers. He was principal author of the “Kasambahay Law”, or the law promoting the interests and welfare of domestic helpers in the Philippines.
During his term, he also filed several bills to improve OFWs’ lives including the establishment of the OFW bank or Senate Bill (SB) 880; the creation of an OFW hospital (SB 889), and increasing their benefits, as well as other pro-labor measures.
