Taiwan has raised the monthly wage for migrant domestic workers to NT$17,000 (US$520).
The Ministry of Labor and officials from Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia reached a consensus on the wage increase on Friday. The amount will be a 7% increase from the current wage level, which had been frozen for 18 years.
Indonesia and the Philippines, the two countries which provide most of Taiwan’s migrant domestic workers, pressed Taiwan for months to raise wage for their workers to NT$17,500 per month. They even threatened to stop exporting their workers to Taiwan if wages were not increased.
The Ministry of Labor said foreign domestic workers hired in Taiwan starting on September 1 will be paid NT$17,000 per month. The wages of those who are already working in Taiwan as domestic workers are subject to re-negotiation between employers and employees, but the ministry said any changes to employment terms are only allowed if they are favorable to workers.