Labour export up in 2013, signs good for 2014

illustration photo

According to the head of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs’ Overseas Labour Management Department (OLMD) Nguyen Ngoc Quynh, Taiwan led in receiving guest workers from Vietnam for 2013 with 40,000 of a total 89,000 Vietnamese going abroad to work.

This was partly due to the fact that last year Taiwan stopped receiving guest workers from the Philippines, increasing the opportunity for Vietnam.

Taiwan is not a high-demand market and associated costs for export labourers range from only $3,800 to $4,500, affordable to most.

Another factor, according to the Vietnamese Labour Management Unit in Taiwan, was that the Taiwanese government recently expanded occupational fields and quotas for labour recruitment at factories, allowing new investors to increase their employment of foreign workers by 5-10 per cent.

On a similar note, Taiwan is considering resuming employment of Vietnamese workers as housemaids in 2014.

“This year we plan to bring about 45-50,000 workers to Taiwan out of a total about 90,000 local workers working abroad, maintaining Taiwan’s position as a key labour export market for the country,” said Quynh.

To achieve this goal, near the end of last year the OLMD ratified a number of policies aimed at facilitating manpower export businesses’ operations.

“Of 45 firms likely to bring workers to Taiwan, half are operating well. To support these firms, this year the OLMD will allow them to cooperate with other firms to increase supply,” said the head of a section responsible for bringing guest workers to Taiwan and America at OLMD Nguyen Xuan Tao.

Also, to bring down the rate of runaway guest workers (about 10 per cent in Taiwan currently) the OLMD will keep a closer eye on the operations of labour export firms to quickly detect violations such as charging higher fees than regulated, said OLMD deputy head Dao Cong Hai.

“Higher cost is one of the main reasons guest workers run away. They violate their contracts in search of a higher income and to deter them the OLMD will apply sever sanctions on disobedient firms,” added Hai.

In the recent past, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs established regulations requiring labour export firms to cut costs for export labourers (from $4,500 to $4,000 for three-year contracts for factory workers and from $3,800 to $3,300 for those working as nurses).

As well as Taiwan, Japan and Korea are also major markets which plan to receive 10,000 and 12,000 Vietnamese guest workers this year, respectively, reported the OLMD.

After a period of stasis, Middle East markets have shown signs that they will rebound with Saudi Arabia recently announcing its plan to increase recruitment of guest workers from nine countries, including Vietnam.

The two countries have also signed a memorandum of understanding on labour co-operation.

According to a Saudi Arabian source, all contracts involving guest workers will be insured and include compensation for labourers in case of illness, death or in scenarios where workers run away.

“As such, we will focus on reviving our traditional markets in the Middle East this year,” said Quynh.

Nearly 89,000 Vietnamese labourers went to work abroad last year exceeding the 85,000 target, reported the OLMD.