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Friday, August 01, 2008
Government allows workers to Jordan (5:23 p.m.)
MANILA - The Philippine labor secretary lifted an eight-month ban on sending workers to Jordan on Friday after setting a minimum wage of US$400 in hopes of eliminating abuse and exploitation.
The ban in January was triggered by complaints of nonpayment of wages, mistreatment and rape that prompted hundreds of Filipinos, mostly maids, to flee their employers and seek refuge at a Philippine-run center in Amman.
Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito Roque said in a statement the government was lifting the ban after setting a minimum wage of US$400 for household workers "to ensure that only legitimate and capable employers can avail of their services ... and eventually eliminate abuse and exploitation."
Jordan's Labor Ministry said in January it was addressing worker problems with the Philippine Embassy but did not elaborate. It said about 16,000 Filipinos work in Jordan.
The government had earlier set the same minimum wage for maids in the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf countries, but it caused a drop in demand for Filipino household help, officials said.
Remittances from overseas workers provide the backbone of Philippines' economy. Some 8 million Filipinos - or nearly 10 percent of the population of about 90 million - work overseas, sending back home about US$13 billion each year, or 10 percent of gross domestic product.
Citing security concerns, the Philippines also has prevented its workers from seeking new contracts for lucrative jobs in Nigeria, Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan.
About 6,000 Filipinos are believed to be working in U.S. military camps across Iraq. (AP) |
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