Sunday, November 05, 2006
Recruiters oppose pay hike for Pinoy domestic helpers abroad
MANILA -- Two associations of recruitment companies has strongly opposed a proposed increase in the monthly salary of domestic helpers (DH) working in other countries.
In a letter to Administrator Rosalinda Baldoz of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), the Federated Association of Manpower Exporters (Fame) and the Philippine Association of Services Exporters Inc. (Pasei) said raising the salary of domestic helpers abroad from $200 to $400 may affect the deployment of Filipinos household workers.
"The imposition of the $400 salary will result in the Philippines' losing the household labor market to other foreign countries like Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Vietnam and even Laos," said Pasei president Victor Fernandez.
Under the proposal, the government will impose a ladderized scheme that will peg at $200 the wage for first-time domestic helper, $300 for those with additional skills like sewing, cooking, babysitting and $400 for domestic helpers who have governess skills, tutoring and caretaker knowledge.
Fernandez warned of "rampant contract substitution" as well as an increase in the escort services and illegal recruitment if the government will not properly address the salary adjustment issue.
"Surely, once this new wage salary is enforced, the country's employable domestic helpers will never have the chance to be deployed abroad and thus reduce further the goal of one million overseas jobs," Fernandez said.
He criticized the no-placement policy of the government saying that "it is against the industry's allowable fee of one month placement fee for countries not covered by intermediaries or special markets like Taiwan, Singapore and Israel where the prevailing wage is all ready above US$400 or close to it." (MSN/Sunnex)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Pampanga. (November 5, 2006 issue)
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