Ms. Tô Thị Hiền

1984: Born in Vietnam
2000: Left high school (Vietnam)
2001: Worked for a shoe manufacturer
2007: Gave birth to her first daughter and worked for a sewing factory
2019: Technical intern training (Nara Prefecture)
2019: Protected by the OTIT, and joined a new company (Iwate Prefecture)

Harsh work and overtime work without pay

As a single mother, I started technical intern training for my daughter’s (high school student) future tuition. I had borrowed about 1.5 million yen in total for my father’s medical expenses and other reasons, and I paid it off in about two years after coming to Japan.

However, at a sewing factory in Nara Prefecture, which was my first workplace, I worked 2-5 hours overtime every day without getting paid for it. The president said that he would not count overtime until 200 pieces were sewn, but in the “finishing touches,” which I was in charge of, it took five minutes per piece to sew all parts of the garment, including the sleeves, shoulders, armpits, and neckline, even if I did my best. Therefore, even if I worked three hours overtime, the limit was 150 pieces a day. In spite of my efforts, I did not get paid for overtime, and my net salary (the amount that is actually left) was only about 90,000 yen.

The company said, “you don’t have to come to the office anymore”

In the third month after I started working, the president told me “if you cannot sew 200 pieces a day, you don’t have to come to the office anymore.” At that time, the union (supervising organization) intervened, and I was able to start the job again. However, four months later, the president of the sending agency came from Vietnam and said, “the company says they don’t need you. So, let’s go back home together.” I explained what had happened, but the president did not listen. On the contrary, he made me write papers saying that “I would return to Vietnam at my own request.”

Consultation with the support group

I had been consulting with a support group via social media for a while. On the night of the day when the president of the sending agency visited me, I sent a message to the representative of the support group, saying “I think I will be taken back to Vietnam, so please help me.” The representative replied, “the staff of the Organization for Technical Intern Training (OTIT) will visit your company tomorrow.” That night, the representative faxed nine pages of report and materials to the OTIT and asked them to help me.

The OTIT rescued me!

Two hours after arriving at the office the next morning, two OTIT staff members came to the company and started interviewing the president. They said, “We, the OTIT, will protect you. You will stay in a hotel from today, and we will look for another workplace.” They drove me to the hotel.

Later, the company was forbidden from providing technical intern training. Thanks to the OTIT and the support group, I was able to get a job at a sewing company in Iwate Prefecture. The president of the company values foreign workers. I am very grateful to the support group, the OTIT and the president of the present company.

Experiences of Technical Intern Training #6 “Changing a Job with Support from a Support Group”

Mừng was forced to take care of animals and babysit her president’s daughter during her technical intern training at a factory, and she also did not get paid for overtime. After she consulted with a support group, the government investigated the company, and Mừng and her junior colleagues were able to change jobs. Here is her experience. (Photo: At the factory she newly joined)