Saudi OFWs may lose their jobs: report

MANILA, Philippines – Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Saudi Arabia are in danger of losing their jobs as the Middle East country starts to strictly implement their “Saudization” scheme, according to a migrants rights group.

John Leonard Monterona of Migrante-Middle East said he has been receiving reports that some OFWs have been terminated from their jobs because of Saudi’s Nitaqat system of employment.

Under the Nitaqat system, private companies in Saudi Arabia will be categorized based on the number of Saudi locals they employ. The Saudization scheme requires that at least 10% of a company’s staff be made up of Saudi locals.

‘Green’ companies are those that comply with the 10% minimum requirement. ‘Yellow’ companies are those that do not meet the 10% minimum, while ‘red’ companies are those that do not employ a single Saudi.

According to Monterona, OFWs and other expats employed by ‘red’ companies will be subjected to a six-year work permit limit unless their companies fulfill the Saudization requirement.

Monterona said that a consultancy firm has already terminated 12 Filipino engineers since the implementation of the scheme.

“Owners of companies will have to reduce the numbers of its expatriate workers in order to increase the percentage of the numbers of its local hired Saudis,” he said.

Migrante estimates that if the Nitaqat system is fully implemented, around 350,000 OFWs will be affected.

“The Aquino government should ready its reintegration and job transfer program as it will be facing hundreds of terminated OFWs coming hom as an effect of the shrinking of the labor market in Saudi,” Monterona said. –abs-cbnNEWS.com