| RP eyes repatriation of 39 duped OFWs |
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| Jan 17, 2010 at 07:51 AM | |
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xAt least 39 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Saudi Arabia are expected to be repatriated this month, an official said Saturday. Rustico de la Fuente, Philippine labor attaché in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, issued the statement during an interview with Vice President Noli de Castro’s radio program Para Sa ‘Yo, Bayan aired over dzMM. The said Filipino workers used to work for Anasban Group of Companies as health workers and helpers. They stopped working since October 2008 because of decreased and delayed release of their salaries and bad working conditions. “We are currently negotiating for the repatriation of our OFWs, and we expect them to be sent home this month,” de la Fuente said. The workers were supposed to receive 940 Saudi riyals, or P10,000 but their contract was changed upon arriving in Riyadh. Their salaries were then downgraded to 650 Saudi riyals. In protest, the Filipino workers stopped working in October 2008 after just being employed around three to five months. There are 2,000 Filipinos working for the said company. “Their employers promised to iron out the kinks and pay them the salaries that they weren’t able to receive because they stopped working, but our OFWs were firm on their decision to just go home because some of their employers did not treat them so well,” de la Fuente added. Earlier, 23 Filipino workers who suffered the same fate as the 39 mentioned were already repatriated back to the Philippines.--Llanesca T. Panti, Manila Times |
