The Philippine Embassy in Bahrain will now report abused worker cases at the Labor Ministry following the new rules set to tighten the Philippine government’s campaign against exploitation of Filipino workers.

The act was announced by Labor Attaché Alejandro Santos following the report of increasing number of workers seeking shelter at the embassy in Zinj was brought to the ministry's attention.

According to Labor Attaché Santos, out of 10 Filipino workers in the shelter, only one of them is legally hired.

“I can say that 90 percent of the workers we assist have been illegally hired to come to Bahrain,” the attaché said.

“This has to stop and to make that happen we have to introduce these new strict measures, he added.

Reports say that in the past few years, the embassy received an average of 30 workers per month and the majority of them are housemaids. But since the start of this year, the number rev up to average of about 54 workers a month.

According to the data released by the embassy, from January to May this year a total of 270 workers were provided shelter and case assistance at the embassy.

The Labor Attaché also said that the major problem of Filipinos working in Bahrain includes contract substitution. The employment contract signed by the workers will be altered when they arrive in Bahrain and often states lower salaries and even different job.

“Many Filipinos coming to Bahrain do not have copies of their contracts,” he said.

“They come here thinking they are going to work as nurses, midwives, teachers and accountants, but they end up working as housemaids, waitresses or fast-food cooks earning salaries lower than what they originally agreed on,” he added.

The Labor Attaché said that the Labor Ministry has approached the embassy and requested them to report the names of sponsors and agencies being accused of maltreating their workers.

“We have agreed to do this on a daily basis, providing them each of the workers' names, their complaint, contact details, as well as details of the manpower agencies and sponsors,” he said.

The New Minimum Wage

In September 2005, the government set a new minimum wage amounting to $200 (about BD75 or Php 10,000) for Filipina housemaids in Bahrain.  Hence, the embassy will soon introduce a new rule in hiring Filipino housemaid.  It states that the new housemaid contracts would need to include declarations by the employer stating that he/she would pay their maid the required BD75 salary. The Justice Ministry will notarize each declaration.

“We have discovered that many employers still do not observe the new minimum wage and to make sure that they do, we have introduced this new requirement with the help of the Justice Ministry,” the attaché said.

Insurance

The Philippine government also introduced a compulsory personal accident for Filipina maids in Bahrain last May 2006.

The insurance policy covers the maid’s death or permanent disablement by violent accident external or visible means cost BD25 or more than Php 3,000 (minimum) and it is good for two years.

“If an employer has a problem with the BD75 salary, the BD25 insurance and the declaration needed to be notarized at the Justice Ministry, then by all means hire another maid from another country,” he said.

“Without fulfilling our requirements, we will not process any contracts at the embassy,” he added.