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Some 250 Filipino workers retrenched from a Malaysian-owned garments
factory in Namibia may soon be returning to the Philippines, in a
report posted on the GMANews website.
The website quotes a report from the online
edition of paper The Namibian that says the firm Ramatex Textile
agreed to pay its more than 3,000 terminated workers, including the
OFWs, the equivalent of two months’ wages, plus medical
allowance and leave credits as separation pay.
The report said the Malaysian textile giant
agreed to compensate the workers after the Namibian government
threatened to confiscate the passports of its Malaysian executives
and keep them from leaving the south African state.
Ramatex shut down its operations on March 6. The
Filipinos were given between March 15 and 18 to go back to the
Philippines, but the workers refused the repatriation offer until
their severance wages are paid.
The company, which began operations in Namibia
in 2001, claimed to have incurred losses of N$500 million (roughly
P2.6 billion) but the labor union refused to believe it, noting its
huge export earnings to the United States.
The Namibian reported that retrenched local
workers would be paid the equivalent of two weeks’ wages for every
year of service in the company. Initial payments should have started
last week.
The workers were also allowed to undergo medical
checkups which the company will pay for.
“As we all know, there were occupational
health hazards and we have decided that all employees be allowed to
go for checkups which the company will pay for. The checkups can be
done by any qualified doctor and the workers must provide the
results to the company,” the report quoted the labor union leader
as saying.
“Even though the Filipinos were only entitled
to seven leave days a year because their contracts were signed
abroad, we put pressure on Ramatex to improve their package and they
will get good money before leaving,” according to Namibia Food and
Allied Union (Nafau) General Secretary Kiros Sackarias.
Ramatex garment products were mainly exported to
the United States. However, The Namibian report said that its
production and sales volumes were never made public, resulting in
persistent questions about the company’s claim that it was making
a loss, despite all the incentives dished out to it.
Earlier, Acting Labor Secretary Marianito Roque
said Ramatex Namibia used to employ at least 2,000 Filipinos in
2002, but the number dwindled over the years due to labor problems.
The Philippine Embassy in Pretoria, South
Africa, has said it has been helping the Filipinos negotiate
for the payment of their benefits.
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