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Bu-lat-lat (boo-lat-lat) verb: to search, probe, investigate, inquire; to unearth facts Issue No. 44 December 16 - 22, 2001 Quezon City, Philippines |
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Bu-lat-lat (boo-lat-lat) verb: to search, probe, investigate, inquire; to unearth facts Issue No. 44 December 16 - 22, 2001 Quezon City, Philippines |
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Migrant
Section The campaign of Filipino domestics in Hong Kong, along with their counterparts from other countries, against drastic wage cuts rages as they welcomed this week a move by their consulates in endorsing their appeal to Chinese authorities. But as they were into this, President Arroyo took a surprise move directing the labor department to implement a long-stalled order exacting US$25 from every migrant worker in mandatory membership fee with Overseas Workers Welfare Association (OWWA). BY
BULATLAT.COM Filipino
domestics in Hong Kong this week welcomed the move taken by the consulates of
the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Nepal appealing to the Chinese
government against going ahead with plans to cut domestic workers’ wages. "We
welcome their move. In fact, we have been consistently calling their attention
to oppose any move to further reduce the minimum allowable wage (MAW) for
foreign domestic helpers (FDHs)", said Connie Bragas-Regalado, chairperson
of United Filipinos in Hong Kong (UNIFIL-HK), an umbrella organization of
Filipino migrant workers organizations said. Regalado.
who is also spokesperson for Asian Migrants Coordinating Body (AMCB), an
alliance of migrant workers organization mainly from Nepal, Thailand, Sri Lanka,
Philippines and Indonesia, was referring to an appeal letter sent to the
Secretary of the Hong Kong Education and Manpower Bureau (EMB) Fanny Law Fan
Chiu-fun which was endorsed jointly by the four consulates. Regalado
dared the consulates however to mean what they say with regards their
“non-negotiable” stand. "We likewise challenge them to be firm with
their 'non-negotiable' stand with regards to wage cuts and not to enter into any
compromise with the Hong Kong government," she said. Disappointment The
UNIFIL-Hong Kong chairperson also expressed disappointment with the
non-inclusion of the mandatory live-in arrangement proposal in the said letter
of appeal. "They should not be selective in their stand against unjust
proposals by the Hong Kong government targeting FDHs. The best thing they can do
is to support the position of AMCB whose members are nationals of the countries
who signed the appeal letter" she said. Meanwhile,
she reiterated the need for these consulates to unconditionally support the
protest actions by migrant workers to oppose wage cuts and the mandatory live-in
arrangements. "We
believe that this diplomatic effort of the consulates can only be more effective
if aligned with the campaign of migrant workers against these proposals. With
the backing of their constituents, the diplomatic efforts would be more potent
and truly reflective of the sentiments of affected migrant workers,"
Regalado said. The
endorsement by the four consulates – whose governments especially the Arroyo
administration, export the biggest number of FDHs in Hong Kong – is not being
taken however as a guarantee that the plan to cut the workers’ salaries will
be put in the freezer. Hong
Kong authorities plan to cut the FDHs’ wages by pegging these to just HK$2,500
a month. Mandatory
‘membership fee’ As
Filipino overseas contract workers (OCWs) are waging struggles for decent wages,
the Arroyo administration is reportedly bent on slashing their income by
directing the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) to “strictly
implement” Memorandum of Instruction No. 8. The memorandum requires all OCWs
to pay US$25 to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) as
their mandatory membership fee to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA). The
memorandum, Migrante International said this week, cuts OCWs earnings by P1,275
or equivalent to one cavan of rice. MOI
No. 8 took effect on Nov. 28. No Filipino migrant worker will be issued an
“overseas employment certificate” unless the $25 OWWA membership fee is
paid. Although the memorandum was first issued in 1996, its implementation was installed by OCWs’ protests led by Migrante. Bulatlat.com We want to know what you think of this article.
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