By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora/PNA
MANILA — The Philippine Embassy in Warsaw on Thursday reiterated its recommendation to suspend the deployment of Filipinos for work in Poland’s road transport sector.
This is in view of the issues concerning the working conditions of Filipinos who worked as trailer truck drivers in Europe.
Some 40 Filipino truck drivers in Germany and Poland were rescued last November from poor working conditions by the Philippine government.
Prior to the case, 22 other Filipino truck drivers were found living in similar substandard conditions in Denmark and were assisted by the Philippine Embassy in Oslo.
In a reminder issued through the Department of Foreign Affairs, Chargè d’Affaires Maria Alnee Gamble said Filipino jobseekers should only deal with recruitment agencies that practice ethical recruitment, as well as those with approved job orders from the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency.
At the same time, the agency cautioned about recruitment agencies that charge excessive fees after the Embassy received information from the Philippine Association of Service Exporters, Inc. (PASEI) that Poland is a “no placement fee” destination.
According to the Embassy, “Poland usually provides foreigners coming from outside the European Union with temporary residence for up to three years depending on the length of their employment contract and work permit.”
Last year, PASEI adviser Lilac Center for Public Interest bared that the Embassy had assisted a number of overseas Filipino workers lured by a Taiwanese recruiter to work in Poland, only to find out that their work in the country were of short duration, of low pay, and the conditions miserable.
The recruitment scheme has allegedly cost these workers PHP400,000 to PHP500,000.
