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Market Update
Series of 2003
MU # 10:
BRIGHT EMPLOYMENT PROSPECTS IN THE UAE
FOR 2004
The Philippine Overseas Labor
Office in the Abu Dhabi reported of a possible increase in the
deployment of Filipino workers to the UAE during the first
quarter of 2004 based on the employment opportunities for
Filipino workers that are expected in the following sectors:
construction, tourism, health and related services, information
technology, oil industry, and household.
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Construction
and tourism. Various skill such as engineers, welders and
other skills will be needed in view of the on-going
construction of man made islands in the Northern Emirates
which are meant to serves as residential areas and leisure
sites. Upon completion, these islands, being tourist
attractions, will require service workers such as gardeners,
waiters/waitresses, and other hotel staff. The Filipinos
presently dominate the hotel industry in the UAE.
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Health
and related services. New hospitals and private clinics (both
dental and medical) are being built in the UAE in line with
the country’s objective of providing more health care to
nationals and expatriates alike. Filipino medical
professionals are highly preferred in this sector.
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Oil
industry. The hiring of Filipinos who are formers refinery
workers will continue in this sector where Filipinos occupy
technical support position. The top engineering positions are
filled up by Americans, British, and Europeans.
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Household
services. The influx of Filipino household workers, who
constitute the bulk of the deployment to the UAE, will
continue at a steady pace.
Source: POLO-Abu Dhabi,
30 August 2003
MU # 9: ITALY STREAMLINES
EMPLOYMENT DOCUMENTS
FOR FOREIGN WORKERS
Italian authorities have
stopped issuing the Carta di Lavoro (Labor Card) and the
Libretto di Lavoro (Labor Passbook) to newly-hired
migrant workers. Instead, they now issue the Permesso Di
Soggiorno (Permit To Stay), which is a unified residence and
work permit renewable every four years. The document indicates
that the holder is lavoro dipendente (with an employer)
in the reason of stay and that the holder derives his income
da lavoro (from employment) in the means of support.
Previously, Italian authorities required migrant workers to have
all three employment documents.
The Permesso Di Soggiorno
is different from the Carta Di Soggiorno. The latter can
be likened to the US green card which accords immigrant status
to the holder. It is valid for ten (10) years
Source: POLO-Rome, 21 August
2003
MU # 8 THE NEW WORK PERMIT
SYSTEM FOR FOREIGN WORKERS IN KOREA
On 31
July 2003, the Korean National Assembly unanimously approved the
work permit bill into law. The salient features of the law
include:
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the regulation of the
employment of foreign workers
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the
protection of the rights of migrant workers in
Korea, including wages equal to Koreans in
the same kind of job
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the renewal of one year
employment contracts of migrant workers that can be renewed
for two additional years
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provision to qualified
migrant workers of various benefits, including industrial
accident insurance and minimum wage guarantees.
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grant of three key labor
privileges: the rights to form trade unions, collective action
and collective bargaining
The law effectively stopped the deportation of the 280,000
illegal foreign workers in Korea, including about 18,000
Overseas Filipino Workers. Illegal workers who have stayed in
Korea for less than three years can stay and finish up to five
years of stay in Korea to work. Those who have stayed more than
three years but less than four years shall first be required to
return home, before being allowed to return to Korea to complete
five years of working stint. Those who have stayed illegally
for more than four years would be deported if caught.
The above measures shall be applicable only to those who have
registered under the Voluntary Registration Program in March
2003. More than 17,000 Overseas Filipino illegal workers had
registered during the Voluntary Registration Period. Those who
failed to register will face deportation/repatriation under the
ordinary provision of the Korean Immigration Law.
The new work permit system is expected to generate employment
for a number of foreign workers, particularly in the
manufacturing sector. To date, we have approximately 70,000
OFWs in South Korea.
Source:
POLO report, The Korea Herald (Aug. 1, 2003), The Korea Times
(Aug. 1, 2003)
MU #7
UNDOCUMENTED OVERSEAS
FILIPINO WORKERS (OFWs)
TO CHINA ON THE RISE
The
Philippine Consulate General in Xiamen, China has recently
reported an increase in the number of Overseas Filipino Workers
(OFWs) entering Xiamen, China to work. Most of these OFWs are
reportedly entertainers who hold tourist or business visas and
do not possess the necessary work permits that would legalize
their stay in China. This development is viewed with concern
because without the work permits that are reportedly difficult
to obtain, OFWs can easily fall prey to abusive or unscrupulous
employers and recruiters.
OFWs in Xiamen have also
complained to the Philippine Consulate that their Filipino
recruiters are withholding their passports due to financial
disputes. The reported practice has alarmed OFWs because
without their passports, they are unable to return to the
Philippines or seek employment elsewhere in China.
Source: OUMWA, DFA, 06
June 2003
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MU #6: FOREIGN WORKERS ON THE RISE
IN ISRAEL
The
Employment Services of the Israeli Ministry of Labor has
reported in February 2003 that the continuous recession in
Israel has caused increased unemployment among its nationals.
Ministry officials believe that the Netanyahu economic recovery
plan will further hurt the economy and worsen the existing
unemployment situation.
Despite the continuous recession though, (arising
from, among other things, a steep drop in foreign investments,
increased defense spending, and a shrinking tourist industry),
the employment of foreign workers has been on the rise. As
of February this year, the number of foreign workers has already
reached 97,900, posting a 1.9% increase from the previous month.
Much of this increase can be attributed to the entry of more
foreign workers in three (3) sectors. In the agriculture
sector, the number of foreign workers has reached 28,000, up
from 17,100 in February last year. In the construction sector,
29,800 were employed, which is twice as many as the figure for
February last year; and in the care-giving sector, the number
reached 39,000, topping by 6,000 the figure for the whole of
last year.
The
Philippine Embassy in Tel-Aviv noted that the demand for foreign
workers in Israel is rising, even as the unemployment rate among
Israelis is also increasing. This may appear paradoxical, at
first, in view of the fact that the governments of host
countries often reduce – or are pressured to reduce – the number
of foreign workers during recessions to accommodate their own
citizens. The increasing demand for foreign workers in Israel
in the face of rising unemployment among the citizenry may be
taken to mean that for Israeli employers, it is still far
cheaper to hire foreign workers than their compatriots. This
strong preference for foreign workers may be the reason behind
the plan of the Israeli government to tax foreign workers. This
tax, if imposed, would make the hiring of foreign workers more
expensive and would concomitantly encourage the hiring of
Israelis instead.
According to the Philippine Embassy, the tax, if imposed, would
not adversely affect the deployment of Filipino caregivers to
Israel, although it would reduce the take home pay thereof. Our
country regards Israel as a traditional market for care-givers.
Source: OMEAA, Department of
Foreign Affairs, 21 April 2003
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MU #5:
SUSPENSION OF THE VERIFICATION OF DOCUMENTS OF KOREAN EMPLOYERS
OF FILIPINO OPA’s
On 27 February 2003, the Korean
Ministry of Justice decided to stop the issuance of E-6 visas,
or entertainer’s visa, for dancers and singers intending to work
in bars and night clubs, especially those operating near the
American military facilities in Korea. The move was intended to
significantly reduce, if not all together stop, the illegal
trafficking of women into Korea for prostitution and for other
similar illegal purposes.
Only entertainers bound for major
and deluxe hotels and qualified art troupes will be granted the
E-6 visa. Filipino singers who are holders of
ARBs and musicians with contracts
duly verified by the Philippine
Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Seoul and processed by the POEA
will be among those who may be issued the visa.
As a corollary
step , the POLO suspended effective March 5, 2003, the
verification of documents necessary for the registration for
establishments which have been denied sponsorship of visa of
Korean principals and placement agencies recruiting Filipino
entertainers.
Source: POLO, Philippine Embassy
in Korea, 24 March 2003
MU #4: EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN
SUDAN
The
Philippine Embassy in Cairo, Egypt recently reported about job
opportunities in Sudan following the passage of Sudan’s Freedom
of Investment Act which paves the way to the flow of investments
into the country. The discovery of oil resources in the
country has also pushed massive infrastructure development.
Sudan is
currently putting in place its infrastructure program in
preparation for the exports of oil in three years time. The
Foreign Minister of Sudan is looking forward to the entry of
Filipino construction labor for the country’s various
construction projects. On the other hand, the Labor Minister
has agreed to formalize the entry of Filipino workers through a
mother agreement which will cover all fields of cooperation
between the Philippines and Sudan. A specific
agreement on labor concerns will
also be drawn up through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on
a Joint Ministerial Commission on Labor. Some of the areas
identified for the promotion of cooperation of the two (2)
countries include vocational training, skills training, exchange
visits of experts to share experiences and best practices.
Filipino
healthcare professionals, particularly nurses, may be tapped to
complement Sudan’s growing medical needs. At present, Sudan’s
healthcare system is in the infancy stage.
A total of
1,302 OFWs had been deployed to
Sudan from 1998 up to 2001. Three hundred seven (307)
professionals, and technical and
production workers found employment in the country in 2002.
Source: PE, Cairo Egypt, February
2003
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MU #3:
HEALTH CERTIFICATES FOR NATIONALS EMIGRATING TO AUSTRIA
Starting
January 1, 2003, Austrian authorities have require first time
applicants of residence permits from non-European Union
countries to submit health certificates indicating that they
are free of certain illnesses, such as tuberculosis, leprosy
cholera, communicable poliomyelitis, parathyroid, pestilence,
dysentery, typhoid, whooping cough, diphtheria and
hepatitis A, B, C, G.
A health
certificate that the foreign national has been given vaccination
or immunization against communicable poliomyelitis, hepatitis A
and B, diphtheria and whooping cough is acceptable in place of a
health certificate that the person is free of these illnesses.
The certification should be issued by an independent practicing
doctor professionally qualified either in Austria, or abroad, in
accordance with country regulations.
Source: Department of Foreign
Affairs-OEA, February 2003
MU #2: AMNESTY FOR UAE’S
ILLEGAL MIGRANTS
The UAE
Ministry of Interior has assured that illegal aliens who will
avail of the four-month amnesty program from 1 January – 30
April 2003 of the government will not be penalized. The
highlights of the amnesty program, which is in line with the UAE
Federal Law No. 6 of 1973 on the entry and exit regulations,
are as follows:
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A
return ticket and valid passport or travel document are
required to avail of the program.
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To
make the process easier for both the authorities and
amnesty-seeker, hotlines and operations rooms will be set up
in each emirate to process the exit procedures
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The violators and their sponsors are responsible for
shouldering expenses for their departure, except in cases
where it is proven that they are financially unable to buy the
tickets.
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Inspection campaigns will be launched to force slackers to
leave and avail of the amnesty
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Fines and the one year ban from work in UAE will not be
imposed on illegal foreign workers
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Companies that failed to renew labor card of workers who have
been absconding for years, and have not reported run away
workers to authorities, will also be exempted from payment of
fines.
Some 5,000 overseas Filipino
workers (OFWs) availed of the Amnesty in 1996 and the same
number is expected to avail of the program this year. To date,
there are 20,000 undocumented Filipinos out of the total 170,000
OFWs presently employed in the Emirates
Source: POLO. Abu Dhabi, UAE
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MU #1: KOREA CONSTRUCTION
INDUSTRY FACES SHORTAGE OF FOREIGN WORKERS
Construction firms in Korea are
seeking to hire thousands of foreign workers amidst the
worsening imbalance in the local labor market.
The Construction Association of
Korea (CAK) intends to employ 14,000 foreign industrial trainees
surpassing the government’s original quota of 5,000. Some of
the notable companies that signified their intention to hire
foreign trainees included Hyundai and Construction, Daewoo
Engineering and Construction and Samsung Corporation.
Construction companies have
reportedly hard time hiring young Korean workers for their labor
requirements since an increasing number of this group are shying
away from hard labor.
Majority of the foreign
construction workers in South Korea who are estimated at eight
percent (8%) come from China and other Southeast Asian
countries, like the Philippines. A steady increase of workers
from Eastern Europe has been observed recently.
The workers who will be hired by
CAK will replace the 56,000 illegal foreign workers who are
expected to be deported in March 2003.
Source: The
Korea Herald, MB 1/2/03
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