Source Verification:
Ramon Bultron
Managing Director
(852-94773141)

APMM Condemns Attempt to Repatriate Two Complaining OFWs in Kuwait

The Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM) deplores the reported attempt to repatriate two Filipino cleaners in Kuwait who just had a successful dialogue together with 38 others with their company named National Cleaning Company on July 8. We are urging the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait to stop their repatriation if they are still in Kuwait especially since the dialogue was witnessed by Labor Attaché to Kuwait Leopoldo de Jesus.

The two namely Noel Lacbayan and Julius Balron were earlier allegedly threatened by Lucy Sermonia of Non –Stop placement agency after being identified by Labatt de Jesus as former complainants when they used to work in Kharafi National. They were allegedly told by the latter that they have not changed and continue to organize workers even if they are now in a different company.

The dialogue was called for by the company after the grievances of the Filipino OFWs were exposed in the Arab Times, an English language newspaper in Kuwait. This resulted in a number of concessions for them, which include the following:

1. The new contract which was forced upon them upon their arrival and which stipulated that they would only receive KD75 (P12,948) a month was rescinded.
2. The original contract signed in the Philippines with POEA authentication and POLO's verification and which stipulated a KD100 (P17,264) a month wage was upheld.
3. They were given their wages and an allowance

The OFWs have free lodging but have to provide for their own food. Earlier, Non Stop agency told the workers that the KD100 stipulated in their original contract is just for show so that it could be approved by the POEA and the POLO.

Again we reiterate our call for the Philippine Embassy to stop the repatriation of the two workers and to blacklist the National Cleaning Company and Non-Stop agency. It should also investigate the complicity of Labatt de Jesus in the repatriation of the two OFW's and for not providing any protection to the complaining workers.

There was no strike made by the workers as there was no work provided to them by their company in the first place. And if ever there was one, the OFWs were just airing their legitimate complaints against the contract substitution imposed on them by their company and agency which the Philippine government should support.

No jobs as 40 Filipino workers oppose signing 'new contract'

By Francis A. Clifford Cardozo
Arab Times Staff
July 8, 2008

KUWAIT CITY : About 40 newly recruited Filipino workers of a local cleaning company have accused their firm of going back on its contractual obligations, even as they urged the embassy to take urgent steps to safeguard their rights. The workers, who have signed up as cleaners, arrived in the country last month and since then they have not been provided any jobs. According to a worker, all forty Filipinos had signed a contract in the Philippines which stipulates their salary as KD 100, in addition to free accommodation. "However, when we arrived in Kuwait, the company dictated its own terms and is forcing us to sign new contracts with a lesser salary but we have opposed the move. Last month, each worker was given KD 25 by the company to meet our basic needs but that money has run out and our survival is now at stake. We tried to resolve the problem with the company in an amicable way, but failed in our efforts," added the crest-fallen worker. Castigating the recruitment agent back home for duping them, the workers said that they were told by the agent that they would be provided excellent work environment with incentives. "We came here with high hopes but our bitter experience with the company for the past few days has shattered our dreams. The embassy has been briefed on our problems but we are yet to see any action thus far."

Afraid

The workers observed that they are afraid to leave their camp for the fear of running into a check point as they only have passport photocopies with them, and that their visas were in possession of the company. Another distraught worker said that many of the workers have taken huge loans back home and that their families were constantly calling to check on their welfare. Gil Lebria of Migrante International, an organization safeguarding the rights of Filipino workers, said that he visited the workers at their camp and was moved by their plight and added that the workers had run out of food supplies. Lebria expressed fear that their situation might deteriorate if prompt action was not taken to address their problems soon. "We are trying our best to help these workers but we have our own limitations," he added.

He said that the Philippine Embassy needs to do more to address the problems of the workers, especially those in detention at the deportation center and that the embassy should issue them out passes in order to send them back home. He also demanded action against the Non Stop Recruitment Agency based in the Philippines, which reportedly duped the forty Filipino workers. "As per the records of Migrante International, the agency in question has duped many workers and hence strict action should be taken against it in order to set a precedent." According to Migrante, there are some eight Filipino maids at the temporary shelter in Khaitan and some of them have been implicated in false cases by their employers with an aim to deny them their dues.

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Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM)
G/F, No.2 Jordan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR

Tel. no.: (852) 2723-7536
Fax no.: (852) 2735-4559
General E-mail: apmm@hknet.com

Other Email Addresses:
Managing Director : director@apmigrants.org / rbultron@gmail.com
Advocacy Program : advocacy@apmigrants.org / rbultron@gmail.com
Research and Publication: publications@apmigrants.org / ahc@hknet.com
Women's Program : women@apmigrants.org / ecbuhay@gmail.com

WEBSITE: www.apmigrants.org

"We dream of a society where families are not broken up by the urgent need for survival.
We dream and will actively work for a homeland where there is opportunity for everyone to live a decent and humane life."