Trung is a man in pain. A 35-year old Vietnamese contract worker, married with two young children under the age of five, he lives in a government shelter in Taiwan recovering from severe burns he received at his workplace two years ago.
In May 2013, Trung arrived in Taiwan to work in a marble factory to support his family back home in Vietnam. He had worked in the factory before, from 2005 to 2010. Then single, Trung sent his monthly salary back to his parents in Vietnam for five years to support the whole family. He met his wife, A-Huong, another Vietnamese worker, in Taiwan. They fell in love and, when they completed their contracts in 2010, they returned to Vietnam and married.
Three years later, with a young family to provide for, he returned to Taiwan to work. All was well until a day in August when a colleague accidentally started a fire and Trung suffered 80 percent burns on his body.
Many people who suffer such severe burns do not survive, but Trung lived. However he was faced with a long and painful process of skin surgery and rehabilitation. He was later taken to the Sunshine Social Welfare Foundation, which specialises in burn rehabilitation. There the doctor told him that even after his rehabilitation was complete, he would suffer from sensations of heat and restricted physical movement for the rest of his life. His wife was permitted to go to Taiwan to care for him during the process of rehabilitation.
In February 2014, the Sunshine Social Welfare Foundation referred Trung to the Rerum Novarum Centre for legal aid. The Jesuit centre has provided a legal aid service for labourers in Taiwan for more than 30 years.
Two social workers in the centre – one a Vietnamese speaker, the other working in the Occupational Injury Section – visited Trung, checked his contract, asked him about the circumstances of the accident and reviewed related legal evidence. They explained Taiwan’s laws and labour insurance, as well as the employer’s legal responsibility and the rights Trung had. Rerum Novarum Centre looked for a professional and dedicated voluntary lawyer for Trung and accompanied him in meetings with the lawyer, in addition to collecting evidence for him. The social worker also filed a report with the Labour Inspection Committee. With the assistance of the centre and the Vietnamese translator, Trung felt more confident of fighting for his rights and benefits.
In December 2014, Trung received more than NT$800,000 (USD 24,785) in disability payments from the Labour Insurance office. However, the social worker is still assisting Trung in claiming compensation from the employer as is permitted by law. Trung is deeply disappointed that his employer broke his promise to pay him compensation. He had worked hard for him in the factory for many years.
Now Trung lives in the government shelter while he continues his rehabilitation and legal battle.
“We are happy that we are able to help Trung fight for rightful compensation for his work injury, and find him a place to live while he recovers,” said Sr Wei Wei, Director of the Rerum Novarum Centre. “But more than that, we thank God that he does not endure his hardship in a foreign country alone.”
To find out more about Rerum Novarum Centre, visit www.new-thing.org