After a Filipino labor officer in Libya reported last week that he facilitated the deployment of 131 jobless overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) with five Libyan firms absorbing them, an OFW group charged him to be involved in contract substitution. This OFW group called on President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to immediately recall Labor Attache Nasser Mustafa for being involved in several cases of contract substitution that victimized about 300 OFWs in Libya. Calling Mustafa a “notorious labor attaché,” Migrante International chairperson Garry Martinez said the labor official facilitated three different contracts for OFWs who were deployed as construction workers in Tripoli. Two recruitment agencies namely Aqua-Gem International Manpower Incorporated and Sharikat Al-Saedi International Manpower Incorporated both located at Ermita, Manila recruited the 300 distressed OFWs. They departed from Manila on December 2008 to work for Cifex World Construction Firm at Dhat El Imad, Tripoli until January, 2008. “The victims signed a contract with their respective agencies during application. A few hours before their departure however, they were again told to sign another contract. The wages contained in the second contract, verified by Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and signed by Mustafa as Labor Attache, was US$100 lower than the first contract. The poor OFWs, left with no other choice, were forced to sign this since they were already in the airport,” lamented Martinez. The provisions in both contracts, however, were violated in Libya saying that payment of their salaries were delayed and that they worked for more than eight hours a day and seven days a week without overtime pay, among other complaints. “Unfortunately, when they complained to the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Tripoli, Mustafa himself told the OFWs they had to sign another contract to suit the practices of the company. Most of the OFWs refused to do so, and filed appropriate cases against their recruiter and employer when they were repatriated back to the country,” Martinez explained. Martinez claimed that they have formally complained to the Department of Foreign Affairs but to no avail. Many of the victims were forced to settle their cases for lack of support from the government. However, Mustafa earlier reported to Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito Roque five Libyan companies will hire the distressed OFWs the media earlier reported to be needing rescue following alleged illegal transfer of work site and non-payment of wages. Mustafa reported that the efforts of POLO paid off as the employers of the five Libyan firms promised they will look into the welfare of the OFWs who were just out of job. He identified the five companies as Al Furusiya Contracting Company United Engineering Company, Al Oula Company, Amal Africa Catering Company, and Al Taqaniya Al Handasia Al Hadeetha, which altogether offered to absorb a total 93 out of the 131 distressed workers. Mustafa, however, disclosed that 29 out of the 131 OFWs have firmly decided to be repatriated back to the Philippines. Their recruitment agency Bison has assured buying the plane tickets for the OFWs.
