Filipino workers accuse Pakistani diplomats in Geneva of not paying salaries for 20 years

Vanguard One · Jun 20, 2021

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Geneva [Switzerland], June 12 (ANI): Six Filipino employees in Geneva have filed a complaint against Pakistani diplomats saying that they did not pay their salaries for more than 20 years.

The Pakistani authorities have termed the allegation "malicious" and "unsubstantiated."

Mirella Falco, head of the SIT workers union on Thursday said that they (workers) left the Philippines because the Pakistani mission to the UN promised them a decent life in Geneva, with a salary, a roof over their heads and payment of social insurance.

"On arrival, the reality was quite different, Falco said adding that they had to accept to work more than ten hours a week without pay in exchange for a legitimation card (a special card that diplomats give to their employees and that is issued by the Swiss mission).

And for their survival, they had to find work with other employers," she added.

"For decades, these domestic workers have been silenced by their fear of losing their residence status. If they are dismissed, they have two months to find another diplomatic employer. If not, they have no choice but to leave or go underground," she explained.

Some became ill as the COVID-19 pandemic only aggravated their circumstances. They decided to come out of the shadows and testify openly on the RTS programme Mise au Point, taking the risk of confronting the diplomatic world and its privileges and not finding a job.

"It's really very difficult for me to have been fired. I worked very hard for half my life for the Pakistani mission. They know that," one of them testified.

According to the swissinfo.ch, through SIT, the employees have appealed to Justice Minister Karin Keller-Sutter and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis.

In their letter, they denounced the abuses they had suffered and asked Switzerland to protect them. The union is urging the authorities to take measures to end these practices, notably by strengthening the rules governing working conditions and residence permits in the diplomatic world.

"These offences are extremely serious," said lawyer Celine Moreau, who is defending two of the women and hopes that investigations will be conducted in response to the complaints. "They should not be underestimated: there is a suspicion of coercion, usury and even human trafficking."

Rejecting the allegations, the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations in Geneva has termed it "malicious" and "unsubstantiated".

"The insinuations of 'exploitation' and 'no salary' to domestic household employees in exchange for legitimation cars have no factual basis," the mission said in a statement. It further said that the mission remains committed to complying with Swiss rules and regulations. It has offered full cooperation to the Swiss authorities. (ANI)