Hong Kong maids protest new Philippines labor law
Filipino maids took to the streets of Hong Kong Sunday in protest at a labor law proposed by the Philippine government that has angered millions of its citizens working abroad.
A throng of mostly female domestic helpers marched through the city to the Philippine consulate to present a petition calling on President Gloria Arroyo to scrap the proposal.
If passed, the law will require maids who work overseas to undergo a two or three week “competency training and assessment program” recognized by the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration at a cost of 10,000-15,000 pesos (US$215-US$320).
Maids in Hong Kong typically earn about US$450 a month.
Dolores Balladares, chairman of the Asian Migrants Coordinating Body (AMCB), which has organized the rally, described the proposal as “extortion.”
“They are taking advantage of the overseas workers,” said Balladares.
In a statement the Philippine Labour Department said it had issued a resolution relaxing the policy so that it would apply only to newly hired maids.
Balladares dismissed the adjustment as meaningless.
“This is just a means of softening the blow after the angry protests that greeted this proposal,” she said. “It is a hollow gesture.”
In Manila, Labor Department secretary Arturo Brion defended the law as part of reforms to give maids better protection amid a number of high-profile cases of abuse against maids, especially in Saudi Arabia and Singapore.
“The reforms that we have been implementing are for the long-term and would place the (maids) on a better footing against abuse and exploitation abroad,” he said.
“I appeal to our (overseas Filipino workers) not to be misled by some quarters, in their veiled attempt to discredit the reforms that we have set in place,” Brion said.
Filipinos make up Hong Kong’s largest immigrant community, with some 120,000 maids working in the city.
2 comments:
Do you personally think it is necessary for maids to have competence standards as well? Why or why not?
Do you believe the measures to be implemented will actually be for the greater benefit of the Pinay domestic helpers?
Honestly I still consider the Pinoy workers are still best in the world because of our qualities. However most of the cases arises that involves Domestic Helpers are not of the question of competencies, the problems are mostly ATTITUDES on how to deal with employers and culture adjustments.
Implementing the measures will nto greatly improve their performance since they are already overqualified for the said position. Most of this people came from the lower echelon of the society and degree holders such as nurses, teachers, social workers,etc....The government should review this measures prior to full implementation.
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