Ambulance chasers’ “predatory and unethical practices are despicable and merciless, and it has to stop,” according to AMOSUP president, Dr Conrado Oca
Tripartism – the co-operation among employers, the government and workers’ organizations – is the “best approach” to achieve the crewing industry’s common goal of completely eradicating the ambulance chasing problem.
AMOSUP president Dr Conrado F Oca believes that the tripartite approach of convening the corresponding sectors of the industry is the right move as the country’s largest maritime union signifies its “commitment to open our doors to each other, so that we can shut out ambulance chasers for good.”
He says ambulance chasing “has taken its toll for our hardworking domestic and overseas seafarers and their families, as unscrupulous individuals and groups take advantage of our maritime workers’ personal challenges and situations.”
In his message to AMOSUP members, Dr Oca reminds: “Ang mga ambulance chasers ay yung mga nag-aalok na tulungan kayo na makakuha ng claims o benepisyo sa mga employers ninyo sa mali o mapanlinlang na paraan. Sa huli, kayo at ang mga kapamilya ninyo ang mapapagastos ng malaki kapag nagpadala kayo sa mga ambulance chasers.”
(The ambulance chasers are those who solicit clients into obtaining claims or benefits from your employers through wrongful or deceptive approach. In the end, it is you and your family who would be burdened by the high cost if you agreed to the terms of the ambulance chasers.)
Dr Oca stresses that the industry has long been finding a way to confront ambulance chasers head-on. But then they realised that the “most effective solution is to equip our seafarers with the necessary information on how they can properly address their grievances or issues with their employers to the appropriate agencies and authorities without the need to pay for skyrocketing professional or consultation fees from external entities.”
Ambulance chasers have been making a living out of the hardships or even the demise of seafarers, he adds, stressing that “their predatory and unethical practices are despicable and merciless, and it has to stop.”
With this undertaking, he says AMOSUP is “committed to resolve to work together to make sure that our country’s seafarers and modern-day heroes will not fall into the trap of this ambulance chasers.”
The union aims to reach out to seafarers to educate and inform them of their contractual rights, legal avenues and processes involved in claiming their benefits. SF