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Hanjin
asked on status of Boholano workers at Subic
By: KIT BAGAIPO
The Bohol Employment and Placement Office (BEPO) have sought
the assistance of Hanjin Heavy Industries regarding complaints
of some 100 Boholano skilled workers employed at the company's
Subic shipyard.
BEPO
head Romulo Tagaan made the inquiry into the situation of
the workers after the Chronicle reported the sub-standard
working conditions and low pay.
In
a letter to Hanjin Shipyard training manager Chan Yong Park,
Tagaan expressed dismay in the light of complaints from Boholano
workers specifically on poor living quarters and the quality
of food which is allegedly "below what is acceptable."
Text
messages concerning the plight of the workers were first received
through Station dyRD days after 152 skilled welders, machine
shop operators and electricians were deployed to Subic.
They
were recruited by Hanjin through BEPO in December last year
and sent to Subic last January 27.
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Relatives
of some workers in Subic likewise relayed their sad
plight and plan to walk out from their work and return
home. The Hanjin shipyard is one of the country's biggest
dry docks.
According
to one recruit who contacted the Chronicle, the 120
welders were not informed by BEPO during their recruitment
that deductions on their P150 daily allowance would
amount to about P130, which leaves them only P20.
However,
Tagaan said in his letter to Chan Yong Park that during
the screening process, where the Hanjin recruitment
representative gave an orientation on the general conditions
of the training, "the most basic concerns of food,
accommodation, transportation, among others" were
discussed.
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"The
applicants were made to understand that they would start as
trainees and they would not be paid salaries for the duration
of the training which runs up to 45 days," Tagaan said.
The
P150 daily allowance is to cover cost for board and lodging
and transportation, according to Tagaan.
He
explained that the cost of training, including uniforms and
safety gadgets will be given for free to the recruits.
The
BEPO head asked Hanjin to address the improvement of living
conditions of the trainees.
According
to one trainee, from their P150 allowance, P65 was deducted
for food, P35 for their board and lodging.
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