THE OFW Party List facilitated the repatriation of six Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who were employed as fisher folks in Namibia.
With the help of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Philippine Embassy in Pretoria, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), the six fisher folks arrived in the country tonight, June 22, 2023.
The six Pinoy fisher folks asked the assistance of the OFW Party List through a radio show to be repatriated to the Philippines due to labor violations against them. According to the fisherfolks, they initially signed a 1-year contract with a manning agency in the Philippines, but they have been staying in Namibia for almost 1 year and 6 months.
They further claimed that the agency has been withholding their wages. They were supposed to receive USD 310 every month. From their salary, USD 150 is being remitted to their families, but with a 2-month delay. As to the balance of their salary, all these are allegedly in the possession of their agency. The agency allegedly told the fisher folks that they will only receive their full wages once the contract is completed.
However, despite the signed contract indicating 1-year duration, the agency insists on a 2-year commitment.
The recently repatriated fisher folks add to the growing number of distressed OFWs who have been repatriated from Namibia. The OFW Party List received complaints early this year from 35 fisherfolks on similar abuses such as non-payment or underpayment of wages, contract-switching, and other labor violations amounting to human trafficking. They were repatriated last March 17 to 19, 2023.
While acknowledging the successful repatriation of the 6 fisher folks, the OFW Party List pointed out the need for an investigation on the repeated cases of abuse and contract violations against Pinoy fisher folks in Namibia.
“In total, we have already repatriated 41 fisher folks from Namibia who suffered similar abuses amounting to human trafficking violations. Why do we allow these manning agencies to continue sending Filipino fisher folks to problematic employers in Namibia? Moreover, based on the accounts of our Filipino Fisher folks, the manning agencies are also violators on non-payment of wages. Ngayon na mayroong one-strike policy ang DMW laban sa recruitment agencies and manning agencies, dapat masampolan itong mga manning agencies na nagpapadala sa ating mga kababayan sa mga abusadong empleyado at hinahayaan lang sila kahit na nalalagay sa alanganin ang kaligtasan at kapakanan ng mga ni-recruit nila. Mahalaga din tugunan ng DMW ang puno’t dulo ng problema sa sistema na nagpapahintulot sa ganitong pang-aabuso,” said Magsino.
Magsino also plans to hold a policy dialogue with recruitment agencies and manning agencies this July to identify gaps in the current policy framework governing recruitment and employment of OFWs and in their responsibility in monitoring and assisting the workers they send abroad.
