Yesterday morning’s bad weather, however, didn’t deter them from getting the permits.
Ronnie Doca, Pilipino Contract Workers chairman, asked acting Deputy Labor Director Barry Hirshbein to issue control numbers so the workers could rest in nearby shaded areas while waiting for their numbers to be called out.
But Doca said he was told by Hirshbein that “they can handle the situation.”
Hirshbein, from time to time, approached the longline of guest workers and told those with valid entry permits to make a separate line.
Doca said many of the guest workers were “so disappointed” with Labor’s system.
Labor, he said, advised some of them to go to the Attorney General’s Office.
The AGO, Doca said, then told the workers who asked for umbrella permits that these were being processed by Labor.
Rabby Syed, United Workers Movement president, said the guest workers were now “panicking and confused” after learning that their names were not included on the list of those who can get the umbrella permit.
Labor issued a notice on Monday advising overstayers to get their umbrella permit on Wednesday and on Friday if their requests for a waiver were submitted on or before Nov. 13.
Federal Labor Ombudsman Pam Brown said the AGO, which she formerly headed, knows what to do with the case of the overstayers.
“He will do what he can. And I trust him,” Brown said, referring to Attorney General Edward Buckingham who signed the document empowering the Division of Immigration and the secretaries of the Department of Labor and Commerce to issue or revoke umbrella permits.
She said the AGO may make an announcement later this week about the concerns of the overstayers.
Brown said since Friday, her office and guest worker groups have been assisting the preparation of waiver requests, including the translation and composition of letters that the overstayers have to submit to the AGO.
About 630 applications were prepared at her office, she said, and these will be submitted to the AGO.
Syed said many overstayers failed to get their umbrella permit at Labor while others continue to process their requests for waiver.
“They don’t know where to get their permit because Labor is not issuing it,” Syed said.
He said Labor gave an assurance that it will attend to the concerns of the overstayers.
“They will have to process the papers manually,” he said, as he noted conflicting reports about Labor’s lack of paper and ink.
He is asking Labor to publish all the names of the overstayers and all the guest workers in different categories who have yet to get the umbrella permit.
This, he added, will assure them that their names are on the list.
