A number of social welfare groups called yesterday for legislation to help protect the interests of foreign housemaids and caregivers working in Taiwan, following the tragic death of National Policy Advisor to the President Liu Hsia (劉俠), who died of injuries allegedly inflicted by her Indonesian caregiver.
The Taiwan International Labor Association, the Chinese Islamic Association and two Catholic panels issued the call, along with a declaration at a joint conference in which they urged the government to enact a "housework service act" to cover housemaids and caregivers, regardless of nationality, who are not protected under the terms of the Employment Service Act.
The government should provide legal protection for both Taiwanese and foreigners employed as maids and caregivers for elderly, disabled and chronically sick people, they said, suggesting that working hours and labor conditions should be clearly stipulated in such a law to prevent conflict between employees and their employers.
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
Lorna Kung (龔尤倩), an official at the Taiwan International Labor Association, said Liu's death has shocked the public and claimed that both employers and foreign housemaids often fall victim to Taiwan's legal system.
As a result of lax social welfare policy, local families have to look after old or seriously ill family members without government assistance, which has led to the need for foreign caregivers and housekeepers, Kung pointed out, adding that a lack of adequate legislation to protect foreign housemaids and caregivers has further worsened the situation.
"There is no clear definition of housekeepers and caregivers' duties, working hours, and salaries. We hope that the government can set up clear regulations to define these issues," she said.
She strongly urged the government to implement a "housework services act" and a "caregiver service law" (家事服務法) to give clear definitions of the terms of employment for such jobs.
The wheelchair-bound Liu, a well-known writer and long-time activist for the disabled, passed away Feb. 8 after being attacked by her caregiver. She was 61.
The caregiver has since been diagnosed as suffering from a mental disorder.
The caregiver has claimed that she was never given time off from her job because of the difficulty Liu had in finding a temporary replacement. The overwork and resulting stress might be responsible fir the caregiver's mental condition.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source
SHOT IN THE ARM: The new system can be integrated with Avenger and Stinger missiles to bolster regional air defense capabilities, a defense ministry report said Domestically developed Land Sword II (陸射劍二) missiles were successfully launched and hit target drones during a live-fire exercise at the Jiupeng Military Base in Pingtung County yesterday. The missiles, developed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST), were originally scheduled to launch on Tuesday last week, after the Tomb Sweeping Day holiday long weekend, but were postponed to yesterday due to weather conditions. Local residents and military enthusiasts gathered outside the base to watch the missile tests, with the first one launching at 9:10am. The Land Sword II system, which is derived from the Sky Sword II (天劍二) series, was turned