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MANILA, Philippines -- More than 200 overseas Filipino workers employed by a construction firm in Saudi Arabia stopped working on Saturday to protest labor contract violations allegedly committed by their employer, a group representing the interests of OFWs said Sunday.
The OFW alliance Migrante-Middle East said the 200 Filipino engineers, supervisors and construction workers of the Al-Arab Contracting Co. complained of delayed salaries, illegal deductions and non-payment of overtime work.
Migrante Middle East said it was told by the workers that they were forced to sign new contracts containing provisions different from the ones stated in their previous contracts, which their recruiters secured for them back in the Philippines.
?Until today, we?re still awaiting our November 2009 salaries. When we were recruited from the Philippines, we were not informed that the company will withhold our two-month salary until we finish our contract. This means that the company didn?t follow Article 61.1 of the Saudi Labor Law,? Migrante-Mideast regional coordinator John Leonard Monterona, quoted one of the OFWs as saying.
Those employed as mechanical, civil, electrical and procurement engineers, architects, document controllers and secretaries also complained that their salaries were less than what was designated by law.
Many employees also complained about maltreatment and discrimination, as well as unsafe working environment due to inadequate safety equipment and procedures.
Monterona, who is based in Riyadh but is currently in Manila on vacation leave, said the OFWs earlier wrote their human resources manager on Feb. 2 but their complaints were not addressed.
The OFWs then sought the help of Migrante?s Riyadh-based affiliate, the Kapatiran sa Gitnang Silangan (Brotherhood in the Middle East), as well as the Philippine Embassy.
Monterona said the embassy sent officers from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration who spoke to the OFWs assigned in Al-Arab project sites in Riyadh as well as the city of Ta?if, near Mecca, and the city of Hofuf, in the Al-Ahsa governorship of the kingdom?s Eastern Province.
?The OFWs, however, expressed their dissatisfaction with the answers provided to them by the our officials and and after sensing that their complaints would lead to nowhere, all collectively decided to stop working starting Feb. 6,? he said.
The protesting Filipinos come from the Dirya, Gornatah and Sulay barracks in Riyadh and those in Ta?if and Al-Ahsa.
Monterona called on POLO officials not to quit on the OFWs, saying the POLO should represent the OFWs in the case expected to arise from the protest.
?The decision of the more than 200 distress OFWs to stop working is an ?act of last resort? in their desperation ? Even Philippine labor officials could not provide them with answers and representation in settling their demands with their erring employer,? he said.
