Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2008, published 98th ILC session (2009)

Articles 6 and 12 of the Convention and Part V of the report form. Workers’ freedom to dispose of their wages and regular payment of wages. The Committee notes that according to the latest statistical information provided by the Government, as of 30 June 2007, the Philippine Claims and Compensation Committee Secretariat (PNCC) had already disbursed Gulf War compensations to 33,656 claimants amounting to approximately US$168 million. The Government indicates that most of the recipients are mostly poor from remote areas, particularly Mindanao, which makes the release of those funds even more significant. The Committee requests the Government to keep the Office informed of any further progress made in this regard.

In addition, the Committee recalls that in earlier reports, reference was made to negotiations undertaken by the Government concerning agreements with a number of countries with a view to regulating the transfer of wages of Filipino migrant workers employed in these countries. In this regard, the Committee had expressed its concern that any such agreements should not limit, directly or indirectly, the workers’ freedom to dispose of their wages, as required by Article 6 of the Convention. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide all available information on the outcome of such negotiations, including copies of any agreements that may have been concluded with migrant-receiving countries.