Feeding the Hungry,
The Situation of Migrant Workers in Taiwan and in Hong Kong
Paper submitted by the Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants to the Asia Pacific Convention on People’s Food Sovereignty,
Dhaka, Bangladesh, November 25 -27, 2004

Migrant workers in Taiwan and Hong Kong come from third world and impoverished countries. And most of them come from the provinces. They work abroad to ensure that they can provide more for their family’s basic needs including food on the table.

Ironically, the conditions of the migrant workers in Taiwan or in any country for that matter are appalling to say the least. Any person who decides to work abroad especially if he or she is a blue collar worker is already vulnerable to abuse. This includes the sordid condition of their nutritional requirements which is only a tip of the iceberg of their abysmal situation.

When I was new in Taiwan, my first impression of Filipino migrants working in industrial areas was that they were spending too much money on food during their days off. You could see a number of them bringing boxes of KFC, Pizza Hut, their native cuisine, and other kinds of food back to their dormitories. Later on, when I was exposed to what kinds of food the migrants were served in their canteens, I fully understood why they “indulged” in “extravagance”. Some of the food served them could hardly be eaten and were not sufficient in quantity.

This condition is not only prevalent in Taiwan but in Hong Kong as well. Those affected include all job categories of migrant workers such as domestic helpers and factory workers of all nationalities. They are considered second class citizens in their host countries. Very few of them are allowed to cook or be provided with food that they would want and need.

Conditions in Taiwan

There are basically four categories of migrant workers in Taiwan. At the same time, the Taiwanese government imposes a quota on the number of blue collar foreign workers to 300,000 or so. Below is a table on their job categories and nationalities.

Source: Employment and Vocational Training Administration, CLA

1. In 2001, Taiwan’s Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) implemented a wage reduction of up to NT$4000 a month from the salaries of factory and construction workers. This is a result of the business sectors demand to Taiwan President Chen Shui Bian during the Economic Development Advisory Conference in August 25, 2001 in Taipei to reduce the pay of the migrants to ease their economic burden in the face of the islands economic crisis. The deductions are supposedly for the rent and food allowances of the foreign laborers who used to be guaranteed with free board and lodging as stipulated in their employment contracts.
2. One local labor federation, the Taiwan Confederation of Trade Unions (TCTU) which is close to the Chen Shui Bian government even agreed to this anti-migrant and anti-worker imposition. They were assured by the government that to offset this wage reduction the placement and brokers' fee of the foreign workers would be reduced. This is despite the fact that during the ongoing conference at that time, migrant workers and their advocates who were protesting outside the premises of the gathering were harassed by police officers during and after said activity.
3. The so-called reduction of placement and brokers fees was never realized, however. Instead the CLA used a euphemism that Taiwanese brokers would not be allowed to collect brokers’ fees but only service fees. This amounts to a total of NT$60,000 (US$1,851) in three years time paid on a monthly basis. Overcharging of said fees has not also been curbed by the CLA. At the same time, placement agencies in the sending countries would still be allowed to collect their own fees based on each country’s regulations. As such, it is only in Taiwan that foreign blue collar workers pay in their home and host countries to have the right to work in the island.
4. Filipinos, if they are not overcharged, pay an average of US$800 as their placement fees, while Indonesians have to pay US$2,559.00. This is paid for 21 months through salary deductions while working in Taiwan.

Going back to the issue of board and lodging, it does not imply though that the foreign workers can choose which kind of food they would like to eat. There are few employers who allow this and there are dormitories that even disallow their foreign workers to cook their own food. Others even disallow workers to bring food either to the factory or even dormitory. (See Annex A). Usually, the food is cooked in the dormitories or is ordered from Taiwanese and in a few cases from Filipino eateries.

I have seen with my own eyes in some dormitories where Filipinos are allowed to cook and at the same time are provided with food that they only get the rice that is provided to them and cook whatever viand they like. In other cases when they are not allowed to cook, they do this in a discreet manner. They, however, run the risk of being given a warning letter or even being imposed a fine or both for this infraction of dormitory/company rules. Usually, if they are given three warning letters, they can be sent back home.

Those not allowed to cook are the most worst off. One Filipina I knew who was on night shift would only eat instant noodles every day because she could not endure what was given to her. Others even if supposedly their cooks are Filipinos would complain about their food. I asked them one time, what was your lunch and they answered breakfast. And what was your dinner and they answered “pulutan”. They had each a fried egg and chicken intestines respectively.

Then there are dormitories like in and Asustek in Taipei that do not provide food to their workers during their days off and holidays.

Then there is the question of quantity and quality of the food served to the migrants. For those working in homes as caretakers and domestic workers, the conditions are almost the same. Majority is not allowed to cook what they like and usually they are given leftovers and Taiwanese food. This prompted one Philippine government official to lament the fact that one of the causes why Filipino nationals run away from their employers is because of inadequate food.

Conditions in Hong Kong

Almost all blue collar migrants in Hong Kong are foreign domestic helpers. Their numbers and nationalities are the following:

Source: Immigration Department, Hong Kong

Filipino domestic workers pay an average of P80,000 (US$1,423) as placement fees while Indonesians have to shell out HK$21,000 (US$2,702) if they are paid the minimum allowable wage of HK$3270. Half of Indonesians are underpaid. They get only HK$500 – HK$1,500 a month as their wage in a period up to 7 months because of salary deductions totaling HK$6 – 8,000 and because they are considered under probation. Most Indonesians also see their contracts terminated after this period.

I the last 6 years, the minimum allowable wage have been cut twice. The first was in 1998 wherein 5% or HK$190 was slashed from their monthly earnings. This might be little for employers but for migrant workers that amount can already buy a sack of rice back home. The second was a stiff HK$400 wage cut in 2003 in the guise of a levy.

With regards to what kind of food that they eat, the conditions of foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) in Hong Kong are almost the same with their counterparts in Taiwan. Very few can choose which kind of food they can eat other than the Cantonese food that they are ordered to cook. This usually consists of soup, fish, meat, and vegetables with a small amount of rice.

Many provide for their own breakfasts and a number of them are given leftovers. The Mission for Filipino Migrant Workers (MFMW) has documented complaints of insufficient food since 1998 and they account from a little as 8% to as high as almost 20% of the number of cases they handled.

Source: Mission for Filipino Migrant Workers (MFMW)

Conclusion and Recommendations

The problem besetting migrant workers with their nutritional requirements as earlier stated is only the tip of the iceberg of their abysmal situation. They have to endure long working hours of manual work, are deprived much sleep especially for those working at homes and in Taiwan have very few chances of being transferred to other employers.

They also have to pay exorbitant placement and brokers’ fees and have endured wage cuts. At the same time, more and more ant-migrant policies are being introduced because of the economic crisis happening in both Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Migrant workers of all nationalities must continue to organize themselves so that they can have a bigger voice in fighting for their rights and welfare. It is also important to develop and strengthen solidarity with the local people especially the Taiwanese and local workers in this endeavor. With regards to improving their nutritional requirements the migrant workers together with their local friends must strive to advocate the following.

1. For those working in factories and construction work, the wage cut for board and lodging should be done away with
2. All workers in all job categories should be allowed to choose and/or cook what kind of food they would want to eat. There should be no penalties for cooking in their dormitories and bringing in food in these places and in the factory itself.