POEA: Deployment of household workers to KSA still suspended

The deployment of household service workers (HSW) to Saudi Arabia will remain suspended as the Philippines still refuses to give in to the request of the Middle Eastern country to slash workers' salaries by nearly half. Carlos Cao Jr., Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) chief, said both countries have failed to come up with an agreement that will lead to the possible lifting of the deployment suspension. “The suspension stays because they wanted the $400 salary requirement that we set [to be] reduced to $210. Of course, we did not find that acceptable. We will not agree to anything lower than $400," he said. Cao also said Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz is set to meet with the Saudi labor minister on the sidelines of the upcoming International Labor Organization meeting in June, to talk about the lifting of deployment suspension. Last March, Saudi Arabia started banning the Philippines from deploying HSW there. The ban stemmed from the fact that the Department of Labor and Employment had imposed so many requirements for employers in Saudi Arabia to comply with. - VVP, GMA News