Losing the Saudi labor market

The recruitment industry players have publicized some threats a few days ago that the current impasse in the negotiations between the Philippine government and Saudi Arabia officials, on the issue of wages for domestic helpers, may result to our country losing the Saudi labor market, not just the DHs but also the skilled sector among  our migrant workers in that Kingdom State. It may be recalled that the Saudi authorities came here to demand that we lower the minimum salary for our household service workers from $400 to a measly $200 a month. Our DOLE and POEA officials, bless their souls, have stood firm that the minimum standards for our domestics are NOT negotiable.

As a result, the Saudi government suspended last March all processing of new contracts, supposedly, as a sign of protest. As a result, many recruitment agencies failed to earn their usual monthly net income, reportedly, in the vicinity of $1,000 per maid deployed. If they could deploy a hundred maids a month, that would be a whopping $100,000.00 every thirty days or $1.2 milllion US dollars a year net profit. We could very well understand then their deep concern relative to this impasse. The industry is telling our government to better agree to a lower pay, or else lose the Saudi labor market for both domestics and skilled labor.  They warn of “serious repercussions’’ should our government fail to forge a bilateral labor agreement with Saudi based on their terms.

To, which we dare say, excuse me, I beg to disagree. With all due respect to the recruitment industry leaders, many of whom are our friends, and most of whom are honorable and honest men and women, I have to say that their threats are not only uncalled for, they are, I’m sorry to have to say this, improper and even outrageous. If there are people who should help our government advocate for better terms and conditions for this more vulnerable sector in our labor supply, it should be the pillars and the leading players in the manpower industry. They should join government in lobbying for higher pay, rather than position themselves on the other side, by opposing the crusade of our Labor Secretary and POEA Administrator to implement the latest amendment to the Labor Code and to the Magna Carta For Migrant Workers, that assure many safety nets for our OFWs, including the domestics. It bothers me, and it should disturb all Filipinos as well, that our recruiters who are Filipinos themselves are the ones asking that we agree to lower the salary of our OFWs.

If push comes to shove, and if the Saudi employers would withdraw from the labor market, then we should welcome it as a blessing in disguise. Perhaps, the time has come for us to impose a total ban on the deployment of domestic helpers to countries that do not provide for adequate safety nets for our vulnerable domestic helpers. We should not agree to lower protection to our migrant workers, under threat of a Saudi ban. Lowering our wages would indicate to the whole world that we are willing to expose our working women to dirty, dangerous, difficult, deceptive and degrading jobs at the measly sum of $200 a month. That amount is a grave insult to the dignity of our workers and a serious derogation of our Constitutional duty to afford full protection to our workers, local or overseas.

Recruiters do know that almost all of our problems in all the embassies and overseas labor offices, most especially in the Middle East, are involving domestic helpers who have been maltreated by employers, abused physically, psychologically, sexually and financially, harassed and exploited, cheated of correct wages, deprived of food, proper medical care and of rest days. Is this the labor market that we are afraid to lose. Many domestics came home maimed, injured, sick, mentally deranged and psychologically traumatized because of physical injuries, mental torture and sexual assault. Are these the situations that we are afraid to leave behind? 

Who are the only ones benefitting from the recruitment and deployment of maids? If they are going to be paid only $200 a month at tremendous social cost, that entails break-ups of marriages and shattering of families, then we should all rejoice that we are going out of these deplorable predicament. Let them get their maids from countries that are willing to give up the dignity of their working women. We have been maligned and ridiculed for being the world’s top supplier of domestic servants. It is high time to redeem our honor before the eyes of the world. Let our DOLE and DSWD provide enough livelihood for our working women so that they would not have to leave behind their husbands and children. And let the recruiters invest in enterprises that would create jobs for these workers. Losing the Saudi labor market may yet be the salvation that we have all been waiting for. And so, let us gently tell our Saudi friends: Thanks, but no thanks. We have enough self-respect than agreeing to lower the cost of our women’s work and dignity. They have been benefitted for decades by the excellence of Filipino labor. They should have known better by now.