VietNamNet Bridge – The Taiwan Ministry of Labor is expected to receive about 10,000 Vietnamese workers to the island in the next three months, after the ban was lifted and became effective on July 15.

Taiwan has high demand for caregivers.

“Vietnamese again welcome work” is the title of an article published in the Taipei Times on July 16, after the ban on Vietnamese labor that lasted a decade was lifted.

According to the newspaper, the Taiwan Ministry of Labour (MOL) is expected to welcome 10,000 Vietnamese workers in the next three months.

Previously, the prohibition was imposed on Vietnamese fishermen in 2004 and on caregivers and domestic workers in 2005 mainly because of the high incidence of Vietnamese abandoning their jobs.

Vietnamese were still allowed to pursue employment in Taiwan in other industries, such as manufacturing.

The Taiwanese government in April said that it would lift the ban this month after Indonesia earlier this year said it planned to stop sending domestic workers overseas by 2017, sparking concerns of a potential shortage of such workers.

The Vietnamese government has imposed heavy fines on absconded workers and the percentage of missing employees had fallen from a high of 10.2 percent in 2004 to 5.8 percent last year.

Mr. Liu Chug-chun from the Taiwanese Ministry of Labor said Vietnam took many measures to reduce the total expenses linked to exporting labor to Taiwan, including brokerage fees, from $5,000 per worker in 2004 to $4,000 per worker last year.

He said that cutting such fees could indirectly boost the incomes of Vietnamese working in Taiwan and reduce their motivation for running away. However, Taiwan has not ruled out the possibility of resuming the freeze on Vietnamese workers if the absconding rate is not reduced after the implementation of the more stringent measures.

PV