Foreign workers come from different national, social and cultural backgrounds. Unlike Taiwanese, they do not have well-protected rights. It is therefore very common to see foreign workers’ rights being violated. A recent incident, in which an Indonesian caretaker was allegedly sexually assaulted by her employer, highlights the precarious work environment that foreign domestic workers face.
The number of foreign social services workers in the nation has risen rapidly in recent years. It increased from 106,331 in 2000 to 229,632 in July, an increase of 115.96 percent. In particular, the number of foreign caretakers climbed from 98,508 to 227,675, an increase of 131.12 percent. Since their salaries are lower and they can provide all-day services, most employers prefer to hire foreign domestic workers.
The salaries, working hours and other work conditions of foreign domestic workers in Taiwan are regulated by labor contracts between foreign workers and their employers, entered into before the workers come to Taiwan. Since domestic workers provide care and housekeeping services within a household, the nature of their work and working times are distinctly different from that of people working in a company, and the time spent working and resting cannot be easily separated. The Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法) does not apply to them, so their wages are decoupled from the minimum wage. This is why the wages of foreign domestic workers have not been adjusted in 18 years.
In July last year, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam joined forces to demand that the Ministry of Labor increase foreign workers’ wages, forcing Taiwan to negotiate with the home countries of foreign workers and increase their monthly wages to NT$17,000, effective from Sept. 1 last year. However, this is still lower than minimum wage, which stands at NT$20,008.
Foreign domestic workers are usually on duty around the clock and their work depends on the needs of their employers. Moreover, they work in an enclosed environment and there is usually a language barrier, which isolates them from society at large. They cannot easily obtain government resources and support, and it is difficult to develop a social support system for them. According to investigations by government agencies, such as the ministry, domestic foreign workers work more than 12 hours per day on average. They also have a higher percentage of overtime work without receiving overtime pay.
There is a shortage of workers, as the nation is trying to develop a long-term care system while facing a rapidly aging population, making foreign domestic workers from Southeast Asian nation an essential pillar of the domestic care system. The future development of Taiwan’s long-term care system should incorporate the Southeast Asian domestic worker labor pool, which could provide the additional personnel necessary for the nation’s long-term care. They should be given professional and progressive training in long-term care skills.
Singapore’s Progressive Wage Model should also be adopted. As enhanced skills translate into increased salaries, workers could expect to earn more than minimum wage and more talented people would be willing to join the long-term care workforce.
The government should address the work environment and conditions of foreign domestic workers. It should pass a draft domestic worker protection act to protect the rights of domestic workers. Complementary measures, such as respite care, should also be introduced to relieve the burden on foreign domestic workers, thereby improving the quality of care.
Chung Chien-ping is an associate professor of international business at Shih Chien University.
Translated by Ethan Zhan
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