THE Philippine Association of Service Exporters Inc. (PASEI)
yesterday assailed the inaction of concerned government agencies despite formal
notification from their group of the looming implementation of the unified
contract scheme in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) that will have considerable
effect on overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and local recruiters.
The scheme would require local recruitment agencies to work
with a counterpart in the Saudi National Recruitment Committee (Sanarcom) in
order to deploy OFWs in KSA.
In a statement, PASEI said they find the silence strange
considering the administration’s repeated expression of gratitude for the
contribution of OFW remittances in the country’s economy. "The overseas
employment service providers in the Philippines are disturbed over the deafening
silence among the honorable officials as we are alone in the battle to protect
the rights and interest of OFWs in Saudi Arabia against their unified contract
(scheme)," PASEI said.
PASEI said the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Office of
the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs, the Department of Labor and
Employment, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, and the Overseas
Workers Welfare Administration should not treat the matter as just a private
dispute between Sanarcom, which inititated the scheme, and local recruiters.
"It is anomalous and totally unfair to the Filipino workers
since they will not be given the opportunity to seek the help of the Philippine
labor representative or the services of mediators in settling disputes with
their employers," PASEI noted.
The group said it is part of the government’s mandate to defend the rights of
OFWs. "We appeal to DFA, OUMWA, DOLE, POEA, OWWA, Congress and the Senate to
come to the defense of the Filipino workers overseas whose rights, interest and
welfare will be put at risk by this prejudicial ‘unified contract’," they said.
– Gerard M. Naval
