It was reported in the press (1st Mar) that Manila ruled that the maid's placement fee of $2,000 (Peso 66,000) must be passed to employers besides insisting on 4-days off per month and a monthly salary of at least US$400.
According to Ms Bridget Tan, chief executive of foreign workers' group Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME), "any placement fees the workers have to pay are still illegal under Philippine regulations". If it is illegal, why are prospective employers forced to pay?
It is amazing that AEAS's (Association of Employment Agencies) president, Ms K Jayaprema, said she has written to the Philippine government to ask that employers bear only part of the fees. Is she not aware that, according to Ms Bridget, it is illegal to pay placement fees? Why is she condoning and supporting an illegal act?
Besides, I find it shocking that Ms K Jayaprema further mentioned that four big agencies under AEAS have already raised fees by $1,000 and urges others to follow suit from this month. Isn't this collusion and anti-competitive?
Will the relevant bodies care to comment and, where necessary, provide guidance to these misplaced actons.
Published in Today Newspaper
http://www.todayonline.com/voices/why-allow-maid-placement-fees-all
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