A pre-termination clause in the contract of Filipinos was part of the labor reform measures jointly adopted by the Philippines and Saudi Arabia, according to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).
This means that Filipino workers who are abused or not paid their salaries can terminate their contracts in accordance with the new Standard Employment Contract (SEC) negotiated with Saudi Arabia.
The signing of the agreement between DMW and the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development led to the lifting of the ban on deploying Filipino workers to Saudi Arabia on Monday, November 7.
The country had halted sending household workers to Saudi last September after reports of abuse and unpaid wages.
Philippine overseas labor offices in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al-Khobar are back at accepting job orders.
DMW Secretary Susan Ople earlier said: “First time, iba na ang kontrata. May insurance para sa domestic workers at sa skilled workers. Hindi na mauulit na uuwing walang suweldo ang mga OFW (For the first time, the contract is different. There is insurance coverage for domestic workers and skilled workers. OFWs will never go home without their salary again.”
“Hindi tayo basta lang magbubukas ng Saudi deployment na walang malinaw at matibay na pundasyon para sa proteksyon ng ating mga manggagawa (We will not simply resume Saudi deployment without a clear and solid foundation for the protection of our workers).”
Saudi Arabia remains the primary destination for OFWs, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.
In addition, remittance flows to Saudi Arabia are the highest among all sources of remittance flows to the Philippines.
PROTECTION ASSURED
DMW Undersecretary Patricia Yvonne Caunan said among the labor reform measures jointly adopted by the Philippines and Saudi Arabia are:
• Employment contract with insurance coverage for domestic workers and skilled workers covering unpaid salaries, airfare, and refund of recruitment costs in case of unfinished contracts, and other contingencies. The Saudi government will shoulder the insurance cost for skilled workers while Saudi employers are mandated to pay for the insurance coverage of Filipino domestic workers.
• Pre-termination clause in the contract that would specifically allow a domestic worker to transfer to or change employers before the end of the contract based on certain grounds, such as the non-payment of salary and cases of abuse/maltreatment.
• Adoption of a joint alternative dispute settlement mechanism that would pave the way for a more transparent, fair, and amicable settlement of employment disputes.
• Integration of the contract and implementation of the Wage Protection Program, which will regulate and ensure the timely payment of wages to all OFWs.
• Direct referral of cases involving the trafficking and exploitation of OFWs to the MHRSD through its anti-human trafficking department.
***With reports from PNA
