Manila, May 20: The Saudi Arabian government to set up recruitment companies that will bring in and hire foreign workers into the Middle-Eastern country, a migrant workers’ rights group said.
Quoting a Philippine labor official based in Riyadh, Migrante-Middle East coordinator John Monterona said the Saudi National Recruitment Committee (SANARCOM) presented proposals to the government weeks ago.
“In general, the host government is planning to set up a Saudi mega recruitment companies that will act as general service companies in recruiting and bringing in foreign workers, including housemaids and family drivers, from manpower exporting countries such as the Philippines and Indonesia,” Monterona said.
The Saudi-based recruitment firms will eventually be accredited by Philippine labor offices in Riyadh, Jeddah and in Eastern region before these firms could hire foreigners, Monterona said.
The SANARCOM proposal was presented as a solution to the labor deployment row between the Saudi and Philippine governments.
He said SANARCOM officials earlier met with Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to settle the issue on the hiring of domestic workers as Saudi employers complained the ‘ unnecessary additional’ requirements imposed by the Philippine labor offices in Saudi Arabia.
Aside from the $400 minimum wage requirement, the DoLE-POEA have also required the submission by the prospective Saudi employers a residence location map, opening a bank account for the Filipino domestic helpers.
An additional compensation of $100 for every Friday extra work as they normally work even during Fridays which is supposed to be their day off, Monterona said.
–Agencies