PH to blacklist HK employers who illegally fired OFWs

MANILA – The Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong said it will blacklist the employers of overseas Filipino workers who had been illegally fired for getting afflicted with coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

“Definitely, that’s the first step that we will do if (they are) proven to be guilty of illegally terminating their employees, that’s the first step, but more than that they’re liable for violating the employment ordinance of Hong Kong for sure,” Consul General Raly Tejada said in a press briefing Thursday.

He said the Consulate General will coordinate with the labor department of Hong Kong to make sure that the employers would face charges.

Last week, several Filipino employees who contracted Covid-19 sought assistance after they were fired by their employers leaving them unable to get admitted to hospitals.

Tejada said the situation was generally “chaotic” last week and that some Filipinos indeed ended up having no place to stay due to various reasons, including getting summarily terminated by their employers. But he reported that most of the employers have already taken back their terminated employees.

The envoy said three to five employers are for “further investigation”.

“Majority ‘yong sa sinabi kong 10, nakabalik naman at nakausap natin ‘yong mga employers (Majority of the around 10 employers that I’ve mentioned have taken them back in and we’re talked to them), some of them were just taken by surprise and were fearful of the virus, they’re probably regretful and did not intend to do so, napakiusapan natin and they’re willing to take back the employees,” he said.