In-depth
Traps set for would-be overseas workers
  • | dtinews.vn | April 04, 2011 10:06 AM

Dozens of poor citizens in southern Ca Mau province are in financial quandary because they’ve been cheated out millions of VND by a labour export firm.

Headquarters of “recruiters”
Son was taken advantage of
One of the companies main participants, first from right

According an investigation by police in Ca Mau, the Vietnam-Australia Joint Stock Company has swindled nearly VND7 billion (USD334,688) from a total of 93 workers.

The unfortunate victims now find themselves struggling to pay bank loans they took out to pay the companies fees. In return all they got was a promise of a job overseas with a salary of USD3,000 per month.

Le Hoang Viet, a Vietnamese national living in Australia got together with his two brothers, both farmers, Le Hoang Men and Le Hoang Khoi to set up the firm in 2006. The company was headquartered in Duc An hamlet, An Phu Hung commune, Cai Nuoc District.

Their business model was to deal with Hanoi Tourism Corporation (Hanoitourist)’s human resource service division in order to arrange jobs for local labourers in Australia. They got approval from the provincial Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to provide employment services in exchange for fees.

Viet and his brothers charged workers USD15,000 each, even though they were only authorised to collect foreign language training fees from the hopeful workers. An up-front payment of USD4,700, and the balance was allowed to be paid back gradually.

Those who paid were not given proper English training, but were still presented with certificates.

In 2009 the department conducted an investigation. Yet, even though the Vietnam-Australia Joint Stock Company was found have made violations, and the department requested them to halt operations, they continued with their recruiting practices.

Tran Thi Suong, whose son wants to work in Australia, said, “I had to give my family’s land use right certificate as security for a bank loan worth VND70 million (USD3,346) in order to settle payments to Vietnam-Australia Joint Stock Company. I expected that my son could work abroad to change his life. But nothing like that happened. Now we are struggling to pay interests monthly.”

Many other families in Ca Mau and in the surrounding areas have found themselves in similar circumstances, most of them poor.

Concerning this issue, Dao Cong Hai, Director of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA)’s Department for Overseas Labour Management said Vietnam-Australia Joint Stock Company has not yet been licensed to operate in employment services.

“Police are investing the case. Initial findings seem to indicate that this is the biggest case of its kind so far in the country,” Hai added.

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