PH Recruitment Agency Suspended by Department of Migrant Workers

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) recently suspended the license of recruitment agency Global Marine and Offshore Resources Inc. The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) stressed the agency’s illegal practices which led to the suspension. The ITF has, likewise, placed Global Marine in its directory of red-listed recruitment agents.

The Federation presented evidence of Global Marine illegally charging placement fees on four seafarers. The ITF further reported that the professionals were placed with different employers contrary to those that were stated in their contracts. These employers also failed to pay the wages of the seafarers. The victims have since signed affidavits vouching for the recruitment agency’s mistreatment.

“It’s great that the Filipino government has taken this action and I hope our evidence convinces them to permanently ban Global Marine. But truthfully, this should never have happened. The manning agency system — regulated by the Filipino authorities — is supposed to protect seafarers from unscrupulous employers,” explained ITF inspectorate coordinator Steve Trowsdale. “In the cases of these four seafarers, that system failed. We’re demanding that the DMW takes a tougher line with corrupt agents so that this kind of worker abuse cannot happen again.”

Marine Global offered the seafarers employment in Dubai on the cargo ship Clivia. However, they found themselves placed on different ships from the aforementioned vessel. The four seafarers visited Global Marine’s offices in Manila prior to their employment. There, they paid a placement fee of between $600 and $1,000. But, the Maritime Labor Convention (MLC) prohibits this particular practice.

Global Marine has since refunded the placement fees and the involved seafarers have returned to the Philippines with the help of the ITF. “Seafarers should be very wary of an agency that charges a placement fee,” Trowsdale cautioned. “Sometimes they break the law like this because they don’t expect to be paid by the shipowner. That should be a red flag — you may not be paid either.”

ITF Manila inspector Arvin Peralta dealt with the case of the four seafarers. He also looks into similar complaints of other professionals against Philippine-based recruitment agencies. “Unscrupulous manning agencies make a mockery of POEA contracts, rules, and regulations in the arrogant belief that they can avoid sanctions by using intimidation, money, and connections,” Peralta elaborated. “They try to deceive and take advantage of Filipino crew when these seafarers are just looking for an honest living to provide for themselves and their families.”

Source: Manila Times