9 January 2015, The Gulf Today
DUBAI: More Filipinos have been projected to be in the service industry of the UAE specifically in Dubai and the Northern Emirates in the next five years leading to the Expo 2020.
Interviewed, Labour Attache Delmer Cruz also stressed that the recruitment and hiring of Filipino household service workers (HSWs), particularly housemaids, is suspended.
“To begin with, we (the Philippine and UAE governments) have yet to negotiate and agree on the resumption of the deployment of housemaids to the UAE. We have yet to negotiate and agree on the terms and conditions of the employment contract favourable to the parties from the departure, arrival and repatriation of the housemaids,” he said on Wednesday afternoon.
Cruz added: “However, housemaids who are currently employed in the UAE or whose employment contracts have been completed may be re-hired by their employers, by the same employers but not any other employer.”
“Housemaids who are willing to return or willing to be re-hired by their same employers once their employment contracts have been completed means that they are satisfied or have experienced good treatment from their employers. They are the best judge for themselves and for their working conditions,” he said.
The official raised the issue as recent reports by other media outlets had indicated that UAE employers could now start employing Filipino housemaids.