VIDEO | OFWs in Saudi Arabian Steel Company Have Not Been Paid for a Year
By: Carla Lim, News5
February 17, 2016 1:34 AM
Though they continued to work, hundreds of Filipinos working for the steel factory MMG-Mohammad Almojil Group in Damman, Saudi Arabia have not received their salary for a year.
“Ang ginagawa nila ma’am, hindi continuous ang sweldo kundi magpapalipas sila ng ilang buwan. Tapos magbibigay na naman sila ng isa, tapos magkakaroon na naman ng patlang. Ang tanda ko nung last year, ang naibigay nila sa amin ay three months lang na sweldo,” Nelio told News5 by phone.
(“The salary is not continuous. They will not give for several months, then give the salary worth for only one month, and there would be a backlog again. I remember that in the whole of last year, they only gave three months’ worth of salary.”)
Nelio claims that his collectibles from the company has reached a million pesos.
Julio Solana, who has worked for MMG for more than two decades, told News5 through email that he applied for and got approval for final exit on August 31, 2013 but was suddenly not allowed to go home. He says his salary has been delayed for 10 months.
Most of the OFWs working for MMG do not have any more iqama or employment visas. That is why when they venture out of the camp, they will surely be arrested by the Saudi police.
Since they claim that they have not received help from the embassy, they have turned to social media for help from fellow Filipinos – so they could be given money just to buy soap.
For the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), this is an issue that should be addressed by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
“Crisis levels are raised when there are imminent threats to the lives and safety of our OFWs,” said DFA spokesman and Assistant Secretary Charles Jose.
But DOLE said, in this case, it will only support the DFA.
“So, not because parang employment lang ‘yon, sa tingin natin ay hindi na dadaan sa proseso ng DFA. At the end of the day, ‘yong nasa post ang nananagot po — ang ambassador at ang head ng mission or consul general,” said Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz.
(“So, not because it appears to be only about employment, we look at it as not going to the process of the DFA. At the end of the day, those in their posts are responsible – the ambassador and head of mission or consul general.”)
In the end, the DFA said it will discuss the matter with DOLE, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
Meanwhile, the Ople Policy Center has called on the government to form a task force to monitor the possible loss of jobs of more than 120,000 OFWs in Saudi Arabia as a result of the slump in oil prices in the world market.
Here’s a News5 video report by Carla Lim: