The world we want: migrant workers need support
Future migrant workers expect more administrative and financial support to go abroad while returning migrant workers hope Viet Nam will soon become as developed as the countries where they used to work. The recommendations were among the major findings during the International Labour Organization consultations with migrant workers last January in Ha Noi. The events were part of the One UN consultation process for the post-2015 development agenda.
HANOI (ILO News) – Future migrant workers expect more financial support to go abroad while returning migrant workers hope Viet Nam will soon become as developed as the countries where they used to work.
The recommendations were among the major findings during the International Labour Organization (ILO) consultations with migrant workers last January in Ha Noi. The events were part of the One UN consultation process for the post-2015 development agenda.
According to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, Viet Nam has about 500,000 workers who work abroad under legal contracts. Labour migration is a strategy for many poor Vietnamese families and individuals to improve their income. Returning migrants also contribute to the country’s socio-economic development by bringing back enhanced skills, knowledge, experience and cultural and social awareness.
Save up for a better life
Financial support was a major concern to all the future migrant workers who were interviewed. The young women and men who were soon leaving to work overseas experienced difficulties in accessing the bank loans needed to be able to work abroad and high interest rates.
“It’s really tough to get a bank loan, particularly in the run-up to Tet [Lunar New Year],” said 19-year-old Nguyen Van Kien from the central province of Nghe An. The young man had to resort to borrowing all of the US$6,000 from his relatives to pay recruitment and training fees before being able to access a bank loan with annual 13 per cent interest.
“I wish the interest rate was lower,” said Kien, who was going to work in Taiwan with a monthly income of about $500.
The future migrant workers complained about the complicated procedures and paperwork, which slowed down their job application process.
“It took ages to get a paper stamped at the communal authorities. I wish all procedures would be simpler,” said 25-year-old Phan Van Tuan who was expecting to set off for Taiwan before Tet.
This group also expected to experience good work conditions in their destination countries, be in good health and save up for a better life after getting back to Viet Nam.
“I want to learn how to open and run business so that I can invest what I earn abroad into a shop in my home city later,” said 20-year-old Ta Thi Quynh Mai from northern Viet Tri City.
Dream and reality
Most of the returning migrant workers from Phuc Lam Commune in Ha Noi’s outlying district of My Duc said they preferred working in their homeland to going abroad.
They used to work in various countries, including Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Malaysia.
“It was such a tough time working abroad without really understanding their language,” said 50-year-old Le Thi Oanh who spent three years in Taiwan as a domestic worker.
Nguyen Thi Ly, now a pork seller, was even unluckier as she was sent to Malaysia by an illegal recruitment agency.
For the woman, who is now happily married, the time abroad was a night mare when she was imprisoned after five months’ working as a cook for workers at a construction site.
“I hope the Government will take strong actions to crack down on those terrible companies,” she said.
The former migrant workers, however, all hoped Viet Nam would one day be as developed as the countries they had a chance to live in.
“I want Vietnamese people can live a better life and have a better education system,” said 31-year-old Nguyen Van Hau who used to work in South Korea as a mechanical worker.
The group also expected a stronger job-growth economy, a cleaner environment, better traffic, a good healthcare system, a society with fewer crimes as well as gender equality and less domestic violence.
National Programme Coordinator of ILO TRIANGLE project to protect migrant workers, Nguyen Thi Mai Thuy, who is also one of the facilitators of the consultations, said many Vietnamese workers face difficulties working abroad, being young people without much prior work experience in an industrial environment.
“They need to be better prepared,” she said. “They also need access to formal information channels and to get in touch with recruitment agencies that are licensed and reliable.”
“Policies should also be improved to better protect migrant workers, she added.
Post-development agenda
The ILO joined other UN agencies in the country during the national consultations on the post-2015 development agenda, for which Viet Nam is one of 50 countries selected. The consultations focus the poor and marginalized groups that otherwise may not have a voice in the formal negotiation processes.
The groups where the ILO took the lead include people with disabilities, urban poor including informal sector workers and migrants, young people and private sector.
The recommendations were among the major findings during the International Labour Organization (ILO) consultations with migrant workers last January in Ha Noi. The events were part of the One UN consultation process for the post-2015 development agenda.
According to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, Viet Nam has about 500,000 workers who work abroad under legal contracts. Labour migration is a strategy for many poor Vietnamese families and individuals to improve their income. Returning migrants also contribute to the country’s socio-economic development by bringing back enhanced skills, knowledge, experience and cultural and social awareness.
Save up for a better life
Financial support was a major concern to all the future migrant workers who were interviewed. The young women and men who were soon leaving to work overseas experienced difficulties in accessing the bank loans needed to be able to work abroad and high interest rates.
“It’s really tough to get a bank loan, particularly in the run-up to Tet [Lunar New Year],” said 19-year-old Nguyen Van Kien from the central province of Nghe An. The young man had to resort to borrowing all of the US$6,000 from his relatives to pay recruitment and training fees before being able to access a bank loan with annual 13 per cent interest.
“I wish the interest rate was lower,” said Kien, who was going to work in Taiwan with a monthly income of about $500.
The future migrant workers complained about the complicated procedures and paperwork, which slowed down their job application process.
“It took ages to get a paper stamped at the communal authorities. I wish all procedures would be simpler,” said 25-year-old Phan Van Tuan who was expecting to set off for Taiwan before Tet.
This group also expected to experience good work conditions in their destination countries, be in good health and save up for a better life after getting back to Viet Nam.
“I want to learn how to open and run business so that I can invest what I earn abroad into a shop in my home city later,” said 20-year-old Ta Thi Quynh Mai from northern Viet Tri City.
Dream and reality
Most of the returning migrant workers from Phuc Lam Commune in Ha Noi’s outlying district of My Duc said they preferred working in their homeland to going abroad.
They used to work in various countries, including Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Malaysia.
“It was such a tough time working abroad without really understanding their language,” said 50-year-old Le Thi Oanh who spent three years in Taiwan as a domestic worker.
Nguyen Thi Ly, now a pork seller, was even unluckier as she was sent to Malaysia by an illegal recruitment agency.
For the woman, who is now happily married, the time abroad was a night mare when she was imprisoned after five months’ working as a cook for workers at a construction site.
“I hope the Government will take strong actions to crack down on those terrible companies,” she said.
The former migrant workers, however, all hoped Viet Nam would one day be as developed as the countries they had a chance to live in.
“I want Vietnamese people can live a better life and have a better education system,” said 31-year-old Nguyen Van Hau who used to work in South Korea as a mechanical worker.
The group also expected a stronger job-growth economy, a cleaner environment, better traffic, a good healthcare system, a society with fewer crimes as well as gender equality and less domestic violence.
National Programme Coordinator of ILO TRIANGLE project to protect migrant workers, Nguyen Thi Mai Thuy, who is also one of the facilitators of the consultations, said many Vietnamese workers face difficulties working abroad, being young people without much prior work experience in an industrial environment.
“They need to be better prepared,” she said. “They also need access to formal information channels and to get in touch with recruitment agencies that are licensed and reliable.”
“Policies should also be improved to better protect migrant workers, she added.
Post-development agenda
The ILO joined other UN agencies in the country during the national consultations on the post-2015 development agenda, for which Viet Nam is one of 50 countries selected. The consultations focus the poor and marginalized groups that otherwise may not have a voice in the formal negotiation processes.
The groups where the ILO took the lead include people with disabilities, urban poor including informal sector workers and migrants, young people and private sector.