
Domestic helpers in Hong Kong during their off day. Photo: Handout
Filipino women brought to South Korea as part of a domestic worker pilot programme can expect to receive an average monthly salary of about 1.8 million won (US$1,340) after their first month, officials said.
The programme guarantees each worker a minimum of 30 hours of work per week, translating to a base monthly pay of 1.54 million won for September. Those willing to work up to 52 hours a week could earn as much as 2.29 million won (US$1,700), with additional pay for overtime and holidays.
By comparison, the monthly minimum wage for domestic helpers in Hong Kong was raised to HK$4,990 (US$642) in September, up from HK$4,870 previously.
Of the 98 workers currently enrolled in the South Korea programme, 85 are clocking in over 40 hours weekly, with exact wages to be finalised mid-month, Seoul Metropolitan Government said.
The workers have been placed in 169 households across the capital since September 3, serving as full-time or part-time carers after receiving four weeks of training.
The initiative is part of a broader strategy by Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon to address South Korea’s fertility crisis.
The programme started with 100 domestic workers arriving from the Philippines on August 6, but the following month, officials lost contact with two who reportedly left for higher-paying jobs in Busan, risking violations of South Korea’s immigration laws.
In response, city officials convened an emergency meeting to revise programme rules, including allowing workers to receive wages twice a month instead of once, and extending their visas beyond the trial period.
Plans are under way to expand the programme by hiring an additional 1,200 Filipino workers next year. However, challenges persist, notably high hiring costs and concerns about a potential rise in undocumented migrants.
Currently, the expense of employing a full-time carer, inclusive of social insurance, stands at 2.06 million won per month – considered steep for many Korean households that average a monthly income of 5.44 million won.
Additionally, as the legal minimum wage is set to increase to 100,030 won next year, participating firms are expected to raise service charges, further complicating the financial landscape for potential employers.
菲律賓傭工的收入
每月 1,340 美元(10,413 港元)
韓國的價格為 642 美元(4989 港元)
香港最低
官員表示,作為家庭傭工試點計畫的一部分,菲律賓女性在第一個月後預計將獲得約 180 萬韓元(1,340 美元)的平均月薪。
該計劃保證每位工人每周至少工作 30 小時,相當於 9 月的基本月薪為 154 萬韓元。 願意每週工作長達 52 小時的人可以獲得高達 229 萬韓元(1,700 美元)的收入,還有加班費和假期的額外工資。
相較之下,香港家庭傭工的每月最低工資從先前的 4,870 港元上調至 9 月的 4,990 港元(642 美元)。
首爾市政府表示,目前參加韓國計畫的 98 名工人中,有 85 人每週工作超過 40 小時,確切工資將於月中確定。
自9月3日起,這些工人已被安置在首都各地的169戶家庭中,經過4週的培訓後擔任全職或兼職護理人員。
該倡議是首爾市長吳世勳解決韓國生育危機的更廣泛策略的一部分。
該計劃始於8 月6 日從菲律賓抵達的100 名家庭傭工,但在接下來的一個月,官員們與兩名據稱前往釜山從事高薪工作的人失去了聯繫,冒著違反韓國移民法的風險。
作為回應,市政府官員召開了緊急會議,修改計劃規則,包括允許工人每月領取兩次工資,而不是一次,並將簽證延長至試用期之後。
目前正在計劃明年再僱用 1,200 名菲律賓工人來擴大該計劃。 然而,挑戰依然存在,特別是招聘成本高昂以及對無證移民可能增加的擔憂。
目前,僱用全職護理人員的費用(包括社會保險)為每月 206 萬韓元,對於平均月收入 544 萬韓元的許多韓國家庭來說,這無疑是一筆高昂的費用。
此外,由於明年法定最低工資將提高至 100,030 韓元,預計參與企業將提高服務費,使潛在雇主的財務狀況更加複雜。
Source : The Korea Times,
Comments