Presented by : DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR LIBERTY T. CASCO Philippine Overseas Employment Administration ILO Decent Works Across Borders Workshop on Bilateral Labor Agreement 8-10 October 2014, Tagaytay City
Agreement between the Republic of the Philippines and the Federal Republic of Germany Concerning the Placement of Filipino Health Professionals in Employment Positions in the Federal Republic of Germany 19 March 2013 Implementing Guidelines signed on 14 June 2013
AREAS OF COOPERATION Regulation of deployment of Filipino health professionals (government to-government hiring); Exchange of ideas and information with the aim of improving and simplifying job placement procedures; Preservation, promotion and development of Filipino workers welfare; Other relevant technical and human resource development (HRD) cooperation and continuing studies in labor employment.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PARTIES recruitment and deployment of Filipino health professionals under existing laws, procedures, guidelines and regulations of each country; taking into account interests of respective employment markets employment contract prior to departure; working conditions comparable to German workers pre-departure briefing on relevant laws, regulations, policies, procedures, norms, culture and practices of both countries
OTHER FEATURES OF AGREEMENT social security coverage under German social security system employee accommodations under German regulations on workplaces exclusion of employers in violation of general principles under Article 1 job placement procedures, including sharing of up-to-date information on supply and demand for health professionals, professional equivalency and linguistic requirements standard bilingual labor contract human resource development projects Joint Committee Settlement disputes adoption of implementing guidelines Amendment Validity and duration of agreement
OTHER FEATURES OF AGREEMENT Filipino nurses undergo a 6-month language training in the Philippines. They continue language and culture training in Germany as part of the one year adaptation program and gain recognition as skilled nurses
Philippines: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, Department of Labor and Employment Germany: Federal Employment Agency (BA) thru International Placement Services (ZAV) GIZ manages language and professional training and integration program
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AGREEMENT Initial demand: 500 nurses By June 2013 deadline: 5,038 applications were received by POEA ; 1,315 shortlisted To date, twenty-five (25) nurses deployed under Triple Win Project. Nurses continue with German language courses until they pass the TELC language test & recognition examination.
The first group of nurses was deployed to Germany on 14 December 2013
Oath-taking of officials of the Association of Filipino Nurses for the Triple Win Project in Germany (11 December 2013, DOLE Intramuros)
POEA Send Off
The second group of Filipino nurses to Germany was deployed on 16 February 2014
UPDATES ON TRIPLE WIN PROJECT. Another seventy (70) nurses currently undergoing Preparatory German Language Training in two (2) accredited language training centers: Goethe Institut and Berlitz Training Center Two (2) Filipino nurses of Krankenhaus Nordwest (Frankfurt) passed the recognition exams & are now registered as Qualified Nurses in Germany.
POEA visit in June 2014 to 3 hospital/employers of nurses show the following situation of nurses:. UPDATES ON TRIPLE WIN PROJECT Filipino nurses enjoy good working conditions Hospitals good employment practices will help the nurses adapt and integrate more easily in Germany Highly modern hospital facilities and research centers with advanced technology for good patient care and up-to-date medical and administrative systems provide excellent work environment for Filipino nurses to learn from and enhance their capability in the area of health care
Update after the 1 st Round of Project Interviews (as of 30 September 2014) Nurses in Germany 25 Nurses in Language Class (A1, A2) 70 Nurses due for Language Class 102 Nurses with B1 and Waiting for 4 Employer Nurses with B1 and Waiting for 8 Deployment Nurses who backed out of the Project 16 TOTAL 225
Issues and Challenges need to promote the Triple Win Project to more employers in Germany policy on name hiring and third country hiring recent passage of German law which will allow hiring of health professionals through private sector, as one among occupations in Positive List that can gain entry to Germany.
Way Forward Convene 1 st Joint Committee by 2014 to address issues and concerns in the implementation of Agreement
Thank you! www.poea.gov.ph