(This is the second of a two-part series on migrant workers in Taiwan’s semiconductor industry. Read the first story here.)
（這是關於台灣半導體產業移工的兩部系列報導之二。第一部請點此閱讀。）
The chip worker set off from a small coastal town in the Filipino province of Batangas with one suitcase, a backpack, and high hopes that, though she had to leave her two kids at home, her new job in Taiwan would help them afford a better lifestyle.
這位晶片產業的移工，帶著一只行李箱、一個背包，從菲律賓八打雁省（Batangas）的一個海邊小鎮啟程，滿懷希望。即使得忍痛將兩個孩子留在家鄉，她仍期望在台灣的新工作能讓他們過上更好的生活。
Fresh off the plane in Taipei, the worker, who asked to be called Jenny, was lined up with other workers, herded into a van, and delivered to a dormitory where she shared a small room with three others. Two days later, she was doing 12-hour overnight shifts processing chip components used by Apple, Nvidia, and others. She struggled to keep up.
剛下飛機抵達台北，這位要求化名珍妮的移工就跟其他移工一樣，被集合起來，塞進一台廂型車，然後送到一間宿舍，跟另外三個人擠在一間小小的房間。兩天後，她就開始上 12 小時的夜班，處理蘋果、Nvidia 等公司會用到的晶片元件。她做得非常吃力。
She was bullied for months and forced to resign after she complained, she told Rest of World.
她告訴 Rest of World，她被霸凌了好幾個月，而且在申訴後就被迫離職。
“I told myself I’d just endure it,” the 33-year-old said. “But eventually, I couldn’t anymore.”
這位 33 歲的移工說：「我那時候一直跟自己說，再忍一下就好。」「可是到最後，真的忍不下去了。」
Jenny is one of the record number of Filipino workers helping power Taiwan’s semiconductor industry, which is booming on the back of global demand for advanced chips used in AI data centers, smartphones, computers, and other products. Over 60% of the world’s chip supplies come from Taiwan.
珍妮只是創紀錄數量中的其中一位菲律賓移工，他們正在為台灣半導體產業貢獻力量。台灣半導體產業因為全球對用於 AI 資料中心、智慧型手機、電腦等產品的先進晶片需求大增而蓬勃發展。全球超過六成的晶片供應都來自台灣。
While companies in Taiwan woo and welcome Filipino workers, more than 10 recent arrivals told Rest of World they struggled with overwork and discrimination. Authorities from Taiwan and the Philippines said there are regulations to protect Filipino workers, and places for them to report abuse.
雖然台灣的企業很歡迎菲律賓移工，但有超過 10 位剛到台灣的移工告訴 Rest of World，他們都面臨過度勞動和歧視的問題。台灣和菲律賓的官方都表示，有相關法規可以保護菲律賓移工，也有申訴管道可以讓他們檢舉不當對待。
The Philippines has been one of the world’s biggest sources of migrant workers for decades. Filipino workers can be found in health care, in hotels, in homes, and on ships. There are nearly 2 million overseas Filipino workers, and nearly 5% of them work in Taiwan, according to government estimates.
幾十年來，菲律賓一直是全球最大的移工來源國之一。從醫療照護、飯店、家庭到船舶上，都可以看到菲律賓移工的身影。根據政府估計，目前有將近 200 萬名海外菲律賓移工，其中將近 5%在台灣工作。
When Taiwanese tech companies started having trouble finding enough locals, they began looking toward nearby Asian nations for workers, engineers, and even teenage students to fill out their factories. The number of Filipinos in the industry has surged by more than 50% in the last 10 years.
當台灣的科技公司開始找不到足夠的本地人時，他們就開始轉往附近的亞洲國家找工人、工程師，甚至連十幾歲的學生都找來填補工廠人力。結果菲律賓人在這個產業的人數在過去十年暴增了超過五成。
Filipino workers now dominate the production lines of many Taiwanese semiconductor makers. Their English proficiency, diligence, and respect for authority make them great hires for fast-paced production lines, employers and brokers said.
很多台灣半導體廠的產線，現在都是菲律賓移工撐起來的。雇主和仲介都說，他們英文不錯、又很認真、也聽話，在這種講求速度的產線上，是很好用的人力。
The Philippine government has ramped up recruitment efforts to help its citizens benefit from the growing demand. Taiwan could hire more than 20,000 Filipino workers for the sector this year alone, according to Cesar Chavez Jr., labor attaché at the Philippine Migrant Workers Office in Taipei. That’s a 25% addition to the nearly 80,000 Filipinos already working in the semiconductor industry.
菲律賓政府最近是卯足全力在招募人手，希望自家國民也能搭上這波熱潮受惠。根據菲律賓移工辦公室駐台北的勞工代表小查維茲（Cesar Chavez Jr.）的說法，光今年台灣的半導體產業就可能聘用超過兩萬名菲律賓移工。這等於是在現有將近八萬名在半導體產業工作的菲律賓移工之外，再增加四分之一的人力，超多的！
“It will still increase in the coming years because of AI,” Chavez told Rest of World.
Chavez 告訴 Rest of World 說，「因為 AI，未來幾年人數還會繼續增加。」
Rest of World spoke with more than 20 semiconductor workers and experts in the industry. The workers asked to go by nicknames, as they are concerned they could lose their jobs or be forced to return home.
《Rest of World》採訪了二十多位半導體產業的移工和相關專家。這些移工都要求用匿名受訪，很怕會因此丟了工作，或被迫遣返回國。
The migrant chip workers said they have to work longer hours for less pay than their local counterparts, and perform more difficult and riskier work.
那些移工說，他們做的工時比本地人長，錢卻領得比較少，而且工作內容還更難、風險更高。
For semiconductor companies, the environment is often military-style, with quotas to fill and workers being laid off if they can’t meet those quotas.
對那些做半導體的公司來說，環境常常都是軍事化管理，有配額要達標，如果工人達不到標準，就直接被掃地出門。
Shifts for foreign workers are often overnight. Twelve-hour shifts are the norm, but 16-hour days are not unusual. They said that at some factories they are punished for small mistakes on the production line, and even threatened with deportation if they refuse orders.
外籍移工的班表常常都是大夜班。基本上都得做 12 小時，但一天做 16 小時也不算少見。他們說，有些工廠會因為生產線上的一點小錯誤就罰他們，甚至如果他們不聽指令，還會威脅要遣返他們。
During typhoons, locals are often allowed to go home while the foreign laborers have to stay and work, said Gilda Banugan, chairperson of Migrante Taiwan, an organization that advocates for Filipino workers’ rights.
Migrante Taiwan 是個專門替菲律賓移工爭取權益的組織，他們主席 Gilda Banugan 就說啊，颱風來的時候，台灣本地人都嘛可以放假回家，可是那些外籍移工卻得留下來繼續工作。
“If they refuse, they risk losing their jobs,” she told Rest of World.
她跟 Rest of World 說，如果他們不從，就可能丟掉飯碗。
Jenny had already worked for several years at a chip company in the Philippines. In Taiwan, her job was feeding thousands of chip parts into a cleaning machine. She said her trainer, who was also from the Philippines, shouted at her, pressured her to work faster, and called her “stupid.”
Jenny 以前在菲律賓的晶片公司已經工作了好幾年。來台灣之後，她的工作是把成千上萬的晶片零件餵進清洗機。她說她的訓練員也是從菲律賓來的，會對她大吼大叫，逼她動作快一點，還罵她「很笨」。
Related Stories 相關報導
“When I was just waiting for her instruction, she would snap at me,” Jenny said during an interview at a shelter for Filipino workers who have fled their employers.
Jenny 在一個專門安置逃離雇主的菲律賓移工庇護所受訪時說：「我只是在等她的指示，她就會對我大吼大叫。」
She said her take-home pay of less than $650 a month was below what she had expected, and that life in the dorm was difficult. Most days, she would sit in her room and cry.
她說扣掉雜七雜八費用後，每個月實領不到 650 美元，跟她當初預期的差很大，而且宿舍生活也蠻難熬的。很多時候，她都只能待在房間裡哭。
The pressure to produce is the norm for Filipino workers at many factories, said Lennon Ying-Da Wang, a director at Serve the People Association, a nonprofit that helps migrant workers in labor disputes with employers.
對許多工廠的菲律賓移工來說，生產壓力大根本是家常便飯，替移工處理勞資糾紛的非營利組織「為人民服務協會」主任 Lennon Ying-Da Wang 這樣說。
“For semiconductor companies, the environment is often military-style, with quotas to fill and workers being laid off if they can’t meet those quotas,” he told Rest of World.
他跟 Rest of World 說，在半導體公司，環境通常都像軍隊一樣，要趕出一定的量，達不到就會被裁掉。
Another Filipino factory worker, from Cavite, complained about his job where he tests multimillion-dollar servers used by Elon Musk’s AI company xAI.
另一位來自甲米地的菲律賓廠工，抱怨他測試 Elon Musk 的 AI 公司 xAI 用來運行的數百萬美元伺服器的工作。
The worker, who asked to go by the name James, said his basic salary was lower than he had anticipated, so he worked overtime to earn enough to send money home. His take-home pay was also more vulnerable than he expected because he could be punished when his work wasn’t up to par, he told Rest of World.
這位要求匿名的移工（我們就叫他 James 好了）說，他的底薪比預期的少，所以只能靠加班來賺錢寄回家。他跟《Rest of World》透露，實際拿到的薪水也比他想像的更不穩定，因為只要工作表現不好，隨時可能被扣錢。
“Every little error gets reported,” he said.
他說：「每一點小錯誤都會被回報。」
The Filipino workers said they have been passed over for promotions and denied bonuses for minor productivity issues.
這些菲律賓移工說，他們經常因為一點點生產力上的小問題，就被剝奪了升遷和領獎金的機會。
Workers and experts said monthly wages for Filipinos tend to hover near the minimum wage of around 29,000 New Taiwan dollars ($970) per month. In contrast, local employees start higher and get bonuses, perks, and raises. Local job ads show Taiwanese workers being offered higher salaries.
移工和專家都表示，菲律賓移工的月薪通常都只在基本工資附近徘徊，大約是每月新台幣 29,000 元（約合 970 美元）。相較之下，本地員工的起薪就比較高，還能領到獎金、福利，也比較容易加薪。看看當地的徵才廣告就知道，台灣員工的薪資待遇確實比較好。
“If they are doing the same job, it’s clear that this is discrimination,” Liuhuang Li-Chuan, who studies the conditions of migrant workers as an associate professor at Taiwan’s National Chung Cheng University, told Rest of World.
中正大學研究移工議題的副教授劉黃麗娟對 Rest of World 表示：「如果他們做的是一樣的工作，那這擺明就是歧視。」
Filipino workers said they have to submit to random drug testing. They said companies seem to use the tests to cut head count when there is a lull in production or a worker they want to squeeze out.
這些菲律賓勞工說，他們常常被要求隨機驗尿驗血，公司好像會趁產量沒那麼多，或是想壓榨哪個勞工的時候，就用這招來把人刷掉。
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Hsiuwen Liu/Rest of World
劉秀雯／Rest of World -
Hsiuwen Liu/Rest of World
日月光半導體的移工指控遭到霸凌和歧視。
ASE Technology Holding — one of the companies that workers complained about — says in its corporate social responsibility report that foreign employees are given the same benefits as locals.
日月光半導體（就是移工們抱怨的公司之一）在企業社會責任報告裡說，他們的外籍員工享有跟台灣本地人一樣的福利。
A spokesperson from the company told Rest of World it investigates complaints of bullying and almost always finds that they are the result of personal disputes rather than company policy. The company said more than 95% of its employees sign up to continue working for the company when their contracts expire.
日月光的一位發言人跟 Rest of World 說，他們會調查霸凌申訴，不過幾乎都發現這是私人糾紛，跟公司政策沒什麼關係。公司還說，超過 95% 的員工在合約到期後都選擇繼續留下來工作。
Super Micro Computer, another company that workers mentioned, said it complies with local and international labor laws and has a system for employees to report problems.
工人提到的另一間公司 Super Micro Computer 則表示，他們都有遵守國內外勞動法規，而且也有內部系統讓員工回報問題。
“If the company becomes aware of a possible issue, we swiftly investigate the matter and take appropriate action,” a spokesperson told Rest of World.
有發言人跟 Rest of World 說啦，「如果公司知道可能有狀況，我們就會趕快查清楚，然後做該做的事。」
Super Micro Computer 的員工抱怨他們工時超長，還受到歧視。Hsiuwen Liu/Rest of World 報導。
The Taiwan Semiconductor Industry Association said it had no comment.
台灣半導體產業協會對此表示沒有評論。
Taiwan’s Ministry of Labor has a 24-hour hotline for foreign worker complaints. The complaints, primarily about wages, documents, and contracts, are referred to local officials for investigation when needed, a spokesperson said.
台灣勞動部設有 24 小時外籍移工申訴專線。發言人表示，申訴內容主要涉及薪資、文件和合約問題，必要時會轉給地方政府調查。
“If the local labor authority determines that the migrant worker is not responsible for the dispute, the Ministry of Labor will revoke the employer’s permit and allow the worker to switch employers or jobs,” the spokesperson said.
這位發言人指出：「如果地方勞動主管機關認定爭議不是移工的責任，勞動部就會廢止雇主的聘僱許可，並允許移工轉換雇主或工作。」
The spokesperson said the ministry also works with the countries that send laborers to ensure they are better briefed on what to expect. It also has social media and radio content in multiple languages to inform workers about their rights.
發言人表示，政府部門也有跟勞力輸出國合作，確保這些勞工在出發前就能對狀況有更清楚的認識。他們也用多種語言透過社群媒體和廣播，讓移工更了解自己的權益。
When Jenny, the chip worker from Batangas, complained to her fellow workers and the broker who managed her about the bullying, they told her to toughen up and keep quiet, she said.
Jenny 說，當她這個從八打雁省來的晶片廠員工，跟同事還有負責她的仲介抱怨被欺負時，他們都跟她說要撐下去，別多說什麼。
Eventually, she called the hotline to file a complaint, but nothing was done to improve her work environment, Jenny said. She later said she was forced to resign because of her complaints. She now worries she will get kicked out of Taiwan.
Jenny 說，後來她打了申訴專線，但工作環境還是沒改善。她後來甚至說，就是因為她申訴，她才被迫辭職。她現在很擔心會被趕出台灣。
Her broker told her that if she doesn’t find a job soon, she will be reported to the police and sent home. Foreign workers who have left their jobs must go home after 60 days if they fail to find a new employer.
她的仲介跟她說，如果她沒快點找到工作，就會被報警遣送回國。外籍移工離職後，如果在 60 天內沒找到新雇主，就必須回國。
“I have two children and I just want to work,” she said. “I don’t know why they treated me this
way.”
「我有兩個小孩，只想好好工作而已，」她說。「我不知道為什麼他們要這樣對我。」
