Australian firms may lay off OFWs

MANILA, Philippines — As the global financial crisis continue to wreak havoc across the global, companies in Australia might lay off foreign migrant workers, including Filipinos, Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Rod Smith said.

“The mining sector has been affected, as well as the manufacturing…There have been lay offs among their employees. But the (Australian) economy is bouncing back and it has remained robust in the last two quarters,” said Smith in an interview at the Australian embassy event in Ortigas during the weekend.

Asked about the number of layoffs, particularly of Filipino migrant workers, the ambassador could not provide it. He said the health and information technology sectors in Australia have also been hit hard by the global recession.

“I can’t say that there’s been none,” he said, referring to Filipinos laid off in Australia.

Philippine government estimates puts the number of Filipinos living in Australia at about 200,000, but the number does not include Filipino contract workers mostly employed in mining, construction, engineering, health, and information technology. –INQUIRER.net