VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese are permitted to work in Taiwan again, 10 years after the island was put off limits to Vietnamese nationals because so many disappeared rather than return home.

The Overseas Workers Management Department under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs said that Taiwan had decided to allow Vietnamese domestic helpers and fishing crews enter and work from the start of July.

According to a bilateral agreement, domestic helpers will have to pay US$2,036 (expenses for agency, recruitment, passport and other legal procedures) not including a deposit of $800.

In return, Vietnamese workers will receive at a minimum monthly wage of 17,500 Taiwan dollars ($565).

Fees for fishermen amount to $1,550 (expenses for recruitment, passport fee and other legal procedures) not including a deposit of $900. Wages amount to about 19,293 Taiwan dollars ($623) per month. Contracts are for three years.

Employers must provide workers with free accommodation and at least a one-way airline ticket to return home.

To prevent worker from absconding, the department asked Vietnamese enterprises specialising in sending workers abroad to work closely with Taiwanese partners in managing those about to end their contracts.

State authorities will punish Vietnamese enterprises if they collect more expenses than they are entitled to - or ignore workers' complaints.

The Vietnamese labour ministry has already suspended agreements with companies that did not comply.

Labour exports from Viet Nam have faced many challenges in recent years because of runaway workers in South Korea and Taiwan. In April, South Korea asked Viet Nam to submit 5,400 workers' files, from which 2,900 will be selected to work in manufacturing, construction and agriculture.

Viet Nam started to send worker to Taiwan in 1999. Eighty per cent were domestic helpers. In 2005, Taiwan stopped accepting them due to the high number who disappeared. About 7,000 Vietnamese are presently working in Taiwan.

VNS