Philippine Embassy in Kuwait Indifferent to
the Plight of 50 Complaining OFWs
17 February 2008

The Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM) deplores Philippine Embassy officials in Kuwait for their indifference to the appalling plight of 50 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Gulf Link Transport Company. These OFWs have resorted to eating expired foodstuffs and picking up sellable items from garbage cans just to be able to buy something to eat.

While supposedly working for a transport company, the 50 have been subcontracted to different employers as cleaners. They have been in Kuwait for three months and a number of them have either not been given any salary or these have been delayed. Their placement agency is ironically named Great Provider Service Exporters Inc.

In addition to these, the company deducts several items from their KD60 (US$220.50) monthly salaries. These include KD5 for their transportation and KD5 for their accommodation. They are also deducted KD6 a month for 24 months for their airfare to Kuwait. Thus their salary (if it's ever paid) is only reduced to KD44 (US$161.70) a month.

This is even lower by a KD to the monthly wage of a domestic helper here. All these violate the terms of their original contracts signed in the Philippines and verified in Kuwait. Other than eating expired foodstuffs given to them, they have also accumulated a debt of KD400 (US$1470) from a nearby store. Selling cans and cartons are able to provide them enough money to buy a 100 fils (37 US cents) kubos or Arabian bread. They also beg food from fellow Filipinos nearby.

The OFWs had already raised their problem to the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) twice. They did this by going directly to the POLO once, a week ago and by faxing their complaints to the same office. They got no response from POLO. Migrante-Kuwait had to write POLO officials again to intercede on the workers behalf.

Most of the OFWs have debts ranging from P30 - 50,000 back home for the processing of their papers and following up their work applications. They are also made to work for 12 hours without any overtime pay and are not provided any pay slips or time cards.

All of them came in with tourist visas and their work permits are supposedly being processed by the company. Their passports are also held by company officials.

We therefore call on Philippine Embassy officials in Kuwait to immediately assist the workers in a positive manner. This means that all their deductions should be stopped and those already taken be reimbursed and that no waivers should be signed by them if there would be any settlement of the case as is the practice of the POLO.

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/81123/50-OFWs-scrounging-trash-bins-for-food-in-Kuwait