Vietnamese workers in Taiwan cry when receiving news of... salary increase

Salary increase, more sadness than happiness

Mr. Do Duc Thang (28 years old, Vu Thu, Thai Binh ) decided to go to Taiwan (China) to work last August. That was the path he planned when life in Vietnam was somewhat deadlocked, and his salary as a garment worker was not enough to cover his expenses.

"I flew away when my child was just 3 months old. I loved my wife and children so I had to try and leave, hoping that life would be better in the future," Thang shared.

The total cost of the trip was 160 million VND, all of which Mr. Thang borrowed from his family. According to the contract, the male worker worked for a glassware manufacturing company in Hsinchu City. Every day, he worked 8 hours, including overtime, which was 12 hours.

"The company is known for overtime but the salary is lower than other companies. Working 12 hours a day, the income is only equal to workers in other places working 9-10 hours," Mr. Thang complained.

Lao động Việt ở Đài Loan khóc khi nhận tin... tăng lương - 1 — Workers seek opportunities to work abroad (Photo: Nguyen Son).

Last week, Mr. Thang heard that Taiwan would increase the minimum wage for foreign workers in early 2024. Before he could be happy, a week later, the broker sent him a notice that the company would increase the dormitory fee to 1,800 NTD (about 1.3 million VND) per month. Currently, each worker only has to pay 800 NTD (about 600,000 VND) for this expense.

"If the basic salary increases by 1,000 NTD, the dormitory fee will also increase by more than 1,000 NTD, while my room has no additional furniture and the clothes drying porch is leaking. It's better not to increase the salary," Thang said.

In a foreign country, Thang takes home about 20-21 million VND each month, including overtime. He keeps 4-5 million to cover living expenses, and sends the remaining 15 million back to Vietnam to pay off debts.

"I also knew that going to Japan and Korea would pay higher salaries, but conditions did not allow it, so I reluctantly chose to go to Taiwan. When I got here, I was unlucky and found a company with little work and low salaries. Now, many times I think I should not go, but I have borrowed more than 160 million VND to go, so I have to try to stick with it. Once I get there and return, I don't know where to find money to pay off the debt," Thang explained.

With the current situation, he estimates it will take him 1.5 years to pay off his debt. During the remaining time of his contract, he will work hard to earn some capital and then go to another country.

The pressure of earning money for overseas workers

For Pham Thi Hang (25 years old, from Dong Ha, Quang Tri ), working abroad is the last way to change her life. After finishing 12th grade, Hang started working at a garment company near her home. With a monthly income of 6-7 million VND, just enough to live on, Hang decided to ask her parents to lend her more than 150 million VND to go to Taiwan to work.

Taking a flight to Taiwan in early 2020, Hang's only intention was to work hard, because at home, debts were waiting. She worked as a worker in a bicycle parts factory in Taichung City with many workers from other countries.

Hang's company works 5 days a week, 8 hours a day, little overtime, Saturday and Sunday off. Workers like Hang don't like to take time off, they just want to work hard on the weekends to earn more money but can't.

Lao động Việt ở Đài Loan khóc khi nhận tin... tăng lương - 2 — Workers take a skills test before going to work abroad (Photo: Nguyen Son).

Because of the pressure to earn money to pay off debt, many workers run away to work outside, but Hang does not dare to bet on her future. She thinks that working outside does not know how much more she can earn, but if caught, the worker's visa will be marked, making it difficult to renew later.

"The company has little work so my total monthly income is only about 20-21 million VND, without overtime. After deducting taxes, insurance, electricity, water, room rent... I can only save 10-12 million VND per month," Hang said.

Every month, Hang sends the remaining money back to her mother to pay off the loan when she goes abroad. If something unexpected happens during the month, she borrows from friends and saves up to pay back the next month, not daring to spend the amount she planned to send home. After nearly 2 years, Hang has paid off the more than 150 million VND borrowed to go abroad.

At the end of the year, hearing the news that the host country is increasing the basic salary, workers like Hang are more sad than happy because the salary increase is small but everything else increases. She just wishes, instead of increasing the salary, that the company has more work for workers to work overtime, and that brokers do not charge workers more money.

"My salary has increased, but the cost of goods and living expenses have increased, and the money I send home has fallen in value, so a small salary increase is like a drop in the ocean. My 3-year contract is about to end, so I aim to return home and then find another country to work. Maybe next I will go to Korea to work," Hang said.

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