Appoint competent labor officials, Aquino told

MANILA, Philippines – A Filipino migrant workers’ group has called on president-apparent Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to appoint labor officials who would truly look after the welfare of workers.

“We would like to convey to president-apparent Benigno Ninoy Aquino Jr. to order his own appointed Labor Secretary to replace all inept labor attaches from various labor overseas offices abroad, especially in the Middle East,” Migrante-Middle East said in a statement.

The group made the call after complaints of 236 Filipino nurses and health workers at Al Ansar hospital and polyclinics have yet to be acted upon by labor officials in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Yesterday, the Filipino nurses and medical workers trooped to the Philippine Consulate General offices in Jeddah to call the attention of Consul General Ezzadin Tago and demand for prompt action on their concerns, according to Migrante.

“We deplore the ineptness of Labor Attache Vicente Cabe in handling this case. Instead of giving support and providing guidance and proper representation for the 236 distressed nurses and medical workers, he had compromised the rightful demands of releasing the unpaid salaries of the OFW nurses and medical workers,” the group said.

The Filipino nurses and medical workers have been complaining of nonpayment of their salaries for six months now, which they are pursuing to be released immediately amid the impending closure of the hospital.

They have also been demanding to be given release papers so they could look for possible employment. – By Dennis Carcamo (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)