Filipina housemaids wages to double

Bahrain - The Philippines is to double to US$400 (BD151) the minimum wage it demands for housemaids working abroad, from next month.

The move was approved by the Philippines Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) in Manila last week, the Gulf Daily News said in a report.

This means that the new law could officially take effect as soon as December 15. In Colombo labour officials said this could boost the demand for Sri Lankan maids whose wages are just over US100.

Bahrain's Labour Ministry has already said that any minimum wage for maids set by the Philippines will not be legally binding here. Employers will not pay, but will employ other nationalities at lower wages, recruiting agents in Bahrain were quoted as saying.

The new raise could cost the Philippines up to $250 million (BD94.5m) in annual remittances, according to a study released by the Philippines-based Federated Association of Manpower Exporters.

But Philippines Department of Labour and Employment Secretary Arturo Brion disputed this on Saturday.

It is estimated that eight million Filipinos work overseas, out of which officials estimate that 80,000 work as maids in various countries. Overall remittances to the Philippines grow yearly and expected to reach the $13 billion (BD4.9bn) mark before the end of this year. "While we might lose some of our market for domestic helpers from other labour-sending countries, new labour markets are opening up soon for Filipino workers," Brion was quoted as saying.

"I see no effects on the deployment and the remittances because we're working on opening new markets." Philippine Embassy welfare officer Attorney Venus Bravo said maids deserved the money.

Filipina housemaids in Bahrain and other Middle Eastern countries have the lowest salaries compared to their counterparts based in Europe and other Asian countries, such as Singapore and Hong Kong, China, where they are said to earn between $500 (BD189) and $1,500 (BD567).

The number of abuse cases recorded in the Middle East is the highest of all, embassy labour attachŽ Alejandro Santos told the paper. "In Europe, for example, there are hardly any maltreatment cases filed against employers," he said. The Philippines increased maids' minimum salary in the Middle East to BD75 in September last year. Employers and recruitment agencies in Bahrain complained, saying BD50 a month was sufficient.