‘Displaced OFWs in Saudi can work in Bahrain, ME’

MANILA, Philippines - Displaced Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia can work in Bahrain and other Middle East countries.

Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said visiting Bahraini Labor Minister Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan told her his country desires to hire additional skilled Filipino workers.

“If they would like to seek re-employment overseas, Bahrain and other Middle East countries are a good market for them since they are already adjusted with the Arab culture and they also have the advantage of knowing their language,” she said.

Baldoz said Bahrain is a safe and good destination for Filipino workers as about 60,000 of their compatriots are already employed in that country.

“I know they cannot immediately decide what they will do upon returning from Saudi, but after everything has settled, we want them to know that they have the option to seek re-employment overseas or choose to set up their own business here,” she said.

Baldoz said the crackdown against illegal migrants in Saudi Arabia has affected more than 12,000 Filipinos.

They will have to leave the Kingdom to avoid arrest and imprisonment, she added.

However, they have not received any report of undocumented Filipinos being arrested, she said.

Baldoz said repatriated workers are banned from seeking re-employment in Saudi Arabia.

Domestic helpers  are exempted from the crackdown, she added.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Labor does not intend to carry out raids at homes of illegal foreign workers after the grace period to correct their labor and residency status has ended.

The Saudi Gazette newspaper reported that the Saudi labor ministry has urged residents to stop anyone impersonating as labor inspectors from entering their homes.

Ministry of Labor spokesman Hattab Al-Enizi said a team   of Ministry of Interior inspectors is authorized to check residency violations.

Another team from the labor ministry is concerned with labor law violations, he added.

A team from the governorates will check Saudization percentage, he said.

The labor ministry will inspect firms and refer violations to the Ministry of Interior for action.

The report said Al-Enizi announced that inspectors must show their identity cards to employers prior to inspections.

The labor ministry also said it has no intention of prolonging the amnesty.

The Philippine government has not received a positive response from Saudi Arabia on its request to extend the deadline for the amnesty for undocumented foreign workers to correct their status, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.

Switching jobs in Bahrain

Filipinos and other foreign workers in Bahrain can now switch jobs without the consent of their employers and may keep their passports under a new law.

Baldoz said yesterday the new law gives a foreign worker   the right to transfer jobs provided that he or she has completed one year with his or her current employer.

“Bahrain is the first Gulf Cooperation Council  (GCC) member-state to scrap the sponsorship system, which means an expatriate worker can now switch jobs without the need for his employer’s consent, or even if he has an expired work visa,” she said.

“With the new regulation, a Filipino worker can also stay in Bahrain as long as they have their sponsors or employers.”

Baldoz said a worker only needs to notify the current employer of the intent to transfer and then comply with the requirements for transferring jobs.

The new law also provides higher salaries and better working conditions for foreign workers, she added.

Baldoz said Bahrain passed the new law to adhere to international labor standards and provide better working conditions for foreign   workers.

Of the 60,000 Filipinos working in Bahrain, a majority are skilled workers, including doctors and accountants, she added.

In a meeting with the Bahraini minister the other day, Baldoz expressed the Philippine  government’s appreciation for the implementation of the new law.

Humaidan said the new law will ensure the protection of the rights and obligations of  employers and employees.

Bahrain Labor Law has covered domestic workers since last year, he added.

Humaidan said the labor law now covers gardeners, drivers, nannies, and cooks. – With Pia Lee-Brago