An OFW tale worth re-telling

I found myself bombarded over the weekend with TV broadcasts about job openings for Filipino workers in many small countries abroad. That was enchanting. But later, I found out that the POEA delivered warnings to the public on how to avoid "being victimized" by illegal recruiters.

It’s about time somebody take responsibility for this problem, even if only to warn people of the risks they are taking and possibly to stimulate the POEA to handle the problem of exploited Filipino workers more vigorously than they have been doing so far.

What struck me was that there have been a spate of repatriation of Filipino workers lately. These workers were mostly from overseas prisons or from POEA holding centers abroad. The fee for their airplane flight back home is already expensive, not to mention their upkeep while they are in government holding centers.

Then, I recalled a timely story sent to me by Fr. Sean Coyle, the Columbian missionary priest in charge of Misyon Magazine. It is a tale worth mentioning as it shows how a Filipina beautician found herself paid way below the standard pay scale in Ireland and the ensuing battle waged by an Irish trade union to give her justice.

Fr. Coyle summed it up thus — the bad news is that people exploit their own but others come to their aid.

Actually, it was my son, my Junior, who tipped me off about that scandal in Ireland over the case of Filipina Salvacion Orge. I wrote about it in a local daily, and Coyle, an inveterate Internet surfer immediately noticed it and confirmed the story and provided me the details of her saga. It is a poignant tale of how the Filipina was given "slave wages". Discovered by the trade union Services, Industrial, Professional and Technical Union (SIPTU), a determined effort to seek the right wages for her was waged.

The case was finally solved and she was given her back pay of 26,000 euros (actually 25,000 euros only but her co-workers contributed 1,000 euros more) and she returned home to the Philippines a millionaire.

But there was a caveat. There were fears that Orge would be blacklisted for future employment in Manila and a sum was would be sought for her to set up her own beauty shop in the Philippines.

Slave wages

The story of Orge created a major stir in Ireland but created a black mark for the Philippines.

This started when SIPTU discovered that Orge, a Filipina hairdresser and mother of three children, was employed by an Irish ferry as a hairdresser with wages of only one euro and eight cents per hour. That’s less than the P47.47 exchange rate at the time the story broke out.

The hiring agency was reportedly the C.F. Sharp in Manila.

At that time, the wages she was receiving was less "than half what the international law requires and far less than the minimum legal wage in Ireland for any worker, which is more than seven euros per hour.

When SIPTU intervened on her case, Irish Ferries closed down the service on the ship because of the law on wages. The union, however, insisted that she be paid her just due.

The issue got noticed by the national radio and television service, and the Irish Independent, purportedly Ireland’s largest selling newspaper, according to Fr. Coyle. The Irish Examiner also took it up and exposed the exploitation of Polish workers in Dublin.

On March 24, the SIPTU discussed the Orge case with Irish Ferries. This time, the ferry canceled her contract following queries from RTE News about the wages and working conditions in Irish Ferries.

Barely 24 hours later, RTE News reported that negotiations were ongoing between Orge and the management of Irish Ferries. It also said that the company closed down the service following queries about the wages Orge was receiving.

However, RTE also reported that the management had acknowledged that the arrangements was not good, but that it would honor its obligations to Orge.

It also presented the contract from the recruitment agency that Orge was to be paid a basic pay of just over 354 euro per month with three days’ holiday per month.

SIPTU says this meant she would work 12 hours per shift, seven days a week, or just over one euro an hour with only three days off each month.

An Irish Ferries spokesperson said the firm is encouraging the recruitment agency to resolve the situation and that the firm was going to help as much as it can.

Incidentally, it seems that two other Filipinos were also in the same situation as Orge.

There were others who picked up the story. Colm Fines, SIPTU representative on the ferry, deplores the exploitation of foreign workers. Emma Kelley, education and science correspondent on News At One, reported her interview with the Irish Ferries representative. News at One’s Colma Fahy spoke to Salvacion Orge.

On March 24, SIPTU condemned the treatment of the Filipina worker who is also a member of the Irish Trade Union.

Irish Ferries announced that the woman was hired on a contract drawn by a recruitment agency and, once the matter was brought to the attention of the firm, the service she provided was stopped.

SIPTU’s Paul Smyth considered the response of Irish Ferries a disgrace.

"This poor woman has traveled over 10,000 miles to fulfill a contract. She has done absolutely nothing wrong and is willing to work and provide the service on board...Because the management has been caught, their solution is to cease operating (the service she provides)," Smyth pointed out.

The Irish Independent on March 26, disclosed that Irish Ferries had admitted it was to blame for the situation. It also quoted Alf McGrath, the director of human resources, that they were doing their best to rectify the situation after SIPTU accused Irish Ferries of paying a foreign worker "slave wages".

Talks reportedly ended March 25 without resolution.

But there was a sequel to the story. Irish Ferries admitted that Ms. Orge’s case was not unique. Two other Filipina women had been contracted to provide the same services on another vessel, Normandy, for the same pay and conditions. The two had reportedly been taken off the ship, which sails between Rosslare and Cherbourg.

SIPTU then served notice of prosecuting the case either by way of a series of work stoppages or stoppage of indefinite duration.

On its March 27, the Sunday Independent reported that Orge would remain on board until she received the same working and pay conditions as other staff on the boat.

The paper also reported that she had refused an offer to be repatriated and for the firm to buy out her contract, according to a Siptu spokesperson.

The firm, however, assured that the company was "dreadfully sorry" about the incident and that it should not have happened. He also expressed optimism on the outcome of the talks.

The Irish Independent on March 30 carried the story "Payoff is a happy ending for Filipina fairy tale". The paper also carried a photo of Salvacion.

The story, as reported by Fr. Coyle, said that Salvacion will return to her home country a millionaire. The beautician at the center of the Irish Ferries row "who had been in Ireland for less than a week, will go home to her family 26,000 euros richer."

Orge reportedly received from the Irish Ferries an estimated settlement of 25,000 euros, bolstered by another 1,000 euros contributed by the crew of the boat she was on.

Well, that is one story that ended beautifully. Orge indeed returned home in April with enough to put up her own beauty shop.

But the point is: Where was the POEA during the entire controversy? Was it aware that the recruiting agency was raking a substantial amount from Orge’s contract?

But what is important to remember is that SIPTU, the militant trade union took up the cudgels for Orge and mustered the will to fight for justice for the Filipina.

This story stands out from among the many tragic tales of OFWs. It is time, perhaps, for the POEA to determine exactly what are the legal labor wages of the countries our workers are deployed to. And make sure that contracts signed by recruiters should abide with these.

I remember once editor of a Saudi paper, Ali Modish, telling me straight to my face in Jiddah, "Rolly, your own people were the ones who brought down the pay scale of Filipino workers by going from one prospective employer to another offering lower wages to be recruited."

I had reported that more than 20 years ago. But it seems that the racket is still going on. Recruiters live in mansions and drive expensive limousines, while the OFWs receive a pittance and remit them home.

These are tragic tales that must be exposed and rectified. And the POEA and the labor department must be in charge of cleaning up the mess for our hapless OFWs.