FIRST IN 18 YEARS | Taiwan hikes foreign domestics’ pay retroactive to Sept 1

MANILA – After an 18-year interval (since 1997), Taiwan’s Ministry of Labor has finally raised the minimum monthly salary of foreign household service workers (HSWs) in that island nation, from NTD15,840 (presently equivalent to P22,500) to NTD17,000 (about P24,270) retroactive to September 01 this year.

Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz broke this good news after receiving an update from Atty. Llewelyn D. Perez, Labor Representative to Taipei, citing Taiwan’s Ministry of Labor.

Deputy Minister Hao Feng Ming was reported to have agreed to the proposal of the Labor Representatives and Labor Directors of Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand for the salary increase.

“I welcome this piece of good news from our labor representative to Taiwan. I am sure our household service workers in that country will also welcome this good news. They deserve the pay raise after it had remained stagnant for 18 years,” Baldoz said.

According to Baldoz, the increase of NTD1,160 is less by NTD500 than what the four sending countries asked for, but she said this was nevertheless a good start, saying the Philippines is firm in its stand on the issue of a pay raise, which she enunciated at the 6th Philippines-Taiwan Joint Labor Conference that she attended in Taipei last month.

“This is an auspicious start similar to the annual wage review that we have requested for in countries like Hong Kong and Macau,” she said.

In Taiwan, household service workers are not covered by Taiwan’s Labor Standard Law. Their typical salary is about NTD15,840 per month, or as mutually agreed upon by the employer and the household service worker. But since the general working conditions for a household service worker is unique, employers typically provide HSWs with free food and lodging.

“The agreement came about after exhaustive discussion at the First Joint Labor Conference Cooperative Meeting convened by Taiwan and the Resident Representatives and Labor Directors of Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand on the issue,” Perez in her report.

Perez said that the salary of HSWs in Taiwan has remained unchanged for 18 years, largely to inflation and the foreseen burden that an increase will pose to employers.

But during the Joint Labor Conference Cooperative Meeting, the Resident Representatives and Labor Directors of Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand argued for the necessity of the pay raise, saying that since 1997, inflation has inched up and that the cost of living has gone up by 40 percent.

“Fortunately, the Ministry of Labor has seen the need to raise the salary of HSWs for their protection. Hence, the agreement. We commend the Ministry of Labor and Deputy Minister Hao for agreeing to the pay increase,” said Baldoz.

The salary raise will be effective September 1. On this date, contracts of foreign household service workers will reflect a minimum salary of NTD17,000,” Atty. Perez said.

Deputy Minister Hao further agreed to meet the foreign labor diplomats in an Annual Cooperative Meeting to be organized by the Ministry of Labor to further discuss major issues and concerns of HSWs in Taiwan.

“This is to further ensure the protection of the rights and welfare of HSWs and improve their working conditions,” Perez said. –InterAksyon.com