Press Statement
22 January 2019
Withdrawal of Labour Attache’s mandatory health check requirement a victory for HK OFWs
March to POLO for the scrapping of OFW Compulsory Insurance still continue!
Filipino domestic workers laud Philippine Labour Attache Jalilo de la Torre’s immediate decision to permanently rescind the Implementation of Additional Requirement for Contract Processing.
Filipino community leaders strongly expressed their opposition to the pre-employment advisory in a dialogue held at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office on Sunday 20th of January 2019. This outpour of rage resulted in the withdrawal of the proposed mandatory pre-employment health check.
While they appreciate the Labour Attache’s concern on the rising health cases, a mandatory health check before the employment of domestic workers is not the solution; instead this would result in termination of work and loss of opportunity to get proper medical attention in Hong Kong.
The leaders assert that medical attention should be provided to the domestic workers within the period of employment. They propose that instead of the punitive pre-employment requirement for the migrant workers, the POLO can devise pre-employment undertaking for employers to sign for the protection and health security of domestic workers.
Most importantly, the Filipino community urge the POLO to work with the Hong Kong government to implement the policies that would provide health care and protection for the foreign domestic workers such as the 11-hour uninterrupted rest, suitable accommodation, and proper food.
Beyond doubt, the collective voice of the OFWs prove to gain positive and fruitful benefits for their rights and welfare. Without the outrage expressed by OFWs, the mandatory pre-employment health check would have pushed through. The result of the consultative meeting definitely attests to this.
The struggle for our rights definitely does not end here. The mandatory insurance is still being imposed on us by the Philippine Overseas Employment Governing Board. Which is why we are inviting all OFWs to join the rally on Sunday, 27th of January, at 2:00 PM at the pavement of the Court of Final Appeal, before marching towards the Philippine Labour Office (POLO) to call for the non-implementation of OFW Compulsory Insurance and scrap it permanently.
Onwards to greater victories!
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