A Filipino envoy in the UAE on Sunday, May 6, ensured stronger protection would be provided for overseas FIlipino workers (OFWs) in the bilateral agreement on labor between the Gulf state and the Philippines.
Philippine Ambassador to the UAE Constancio Vingno Jr. said the agreement called “Philippine-UAE Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Labour Cooperation for the Protection of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs),” which was signed by Philippine labor secretary Silvestre Bello III and UAE Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) Saqr Ghobash on Sept. 12, 2017 in Abu Dhabi, aims to protect the welfare of OFWs in the Gulf state.
“The two sides (the Philippines and the UAE) are just awaiting on the implementation guidelines of the MoU,” Vingno told The Gulf Today.
The agreement ensure the welfare of OFWs, from deployment to arrival, based on UAE and Philippine laws. The labor deal also covers hiring under the UAE’s Tadbeer system.
“The recently-signed ‘Protocol on Domestic Workers’ which is attached to the ‘MoU on Labour Cooperation’ is already based on the new ‘UAE Law on Domestic Workers,” Vingno said.
Under the MOU, OFWs in the UAE are entitled to the following:
– treatment of the workers that preserves personal dignity and physical safety;
– due payment and non-withholding of wages;
– 12 hours of daily rest;
– one full day of weekly rest;
– decent accommodation;
– medical treatment;
– retention of identity documents such as passports;
– non-payment of costs and fees on recruitment and deployment; and
– non-payment of costs for repatriation.
The deal, however, noted that “major areas of cooperation involve collaborative administration of the contract employment cycle including the use of information technology and exchange of information, and the regulation of recruitment agencies to enforce fair and transparent recruitment practices.”
“With the implementation of the Tadbeer system, which is under the MoHRE, we can be assured that the rights of our domestic workers are amply protected,” Vingno said.
“[Tadbeer centers] have dual personalities—they can be recruiters as well as employers (that) will partner with accredited Philippine recruitment agencies in the hiring of Filipino domestic workers under the 19 categories specified in the new UAE Law for Domestic Workers.”
