The Philippines has confirmed it will not enforce the planned $500 minimum wage for Filipino domestic workers in the GCC countries, with salaries instead to be set by supply and demand in the market, the Qatar News Agency reported.
Philippines Secretary of Migrant Workers Hans Leo Cacdac made the announcement following talks in Doha on Wednesday with Qatar’s Labour Minister Dr Ali bin Samikh Al Marri.
Cacdac confirmed that the minimum wage for Filipino domestic workers will not be imposed and will remain subject to supply and demand.
He added that the process for determining the minimum wage will be reviewed to achieve a fair balance between the interests of both parties.
He clarified that the newly introduced annual medical examination in the Philippines will be voluntary and fully funded by the Philippine side, ensuring GCC employers incur no additional costs, QNA reported.
Both sides agreed that the authority for resolving disputes between Filipino workers and employers lies with the Ministries of Labour in the GCC countries.
The Philippines’ Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) last month rolled out a comprehensive set of reforms to enhance the protection of overseas Filipino domestic workers, including a monthly wage increase from $400 to $500.
The move, introduced without prior consultation, sparked concern among GCC states, which remain the largest employers of Filipino household workers.
The GDN reported last week that recruitment firms in Bahrain rejected the decision by the Philippines government, saying the move would affect hundreds of households in the kingdom and force them to hire help from other countries.
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