The labor ministry is considering an increase in foreign worker’s wages, but it won’t decide until the end of this year.
The monthly salary for foreign domestic caregivers is NT$15,840 (US$512). That figure has not risen in ten years. But since caregivers are given room and board, their wage package amounts to more than NT$20,000.
But Indonesian, Vietnamese and Filipino workers have been lobbying to increase their salary to NT$17,500 (US$566) a month by July 1. They arrived at that figure by subtracting NT$2,500 room and board costs from the minimum wage of NT$20,008.
Labor Minister Chen Hsiung-wen said he has spoken with officials from the three countries who are asking for an increase in wages on behalf of their workers.
Chen said his ministry would continue to talk with representatives from those countries, as well as evaluate the impact a salary hike would have on Taiwanese workers. He said they will study the issue and make a decision by the end of the year.