An opposition legislator and an alliance promoting domestic help service legislation unveiled what they called "a workers' version" of a domestic service law yesterday.
Legislator Joanna Lei (雷倩) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the alliance, which was formed by the Taiwan International Workers' Association (TIWA) and other civic groups, called a press conference at the Legislative Yuan to call attention to the need for legislation to protect the rights of workers in the domestic service sector.
rights of workers
Lei noted that domestic helpers and caregivers are currently excluded from the nation's Basic Labor Law, which protects the basic rights of workers.
She added that "disadvantaged" foreign domestic helpers or caregivers sometimes suffer even more unfair treatment and abuses than their Taiwanese counterparts.
With the government stalled on such legislation, the alliance has worked with legislators to unveil the workers' version of a domestic service law in the hopes of prodding the government to act swiftly to come up with their own version, Lei said.
She said that society needs to learn to tolerate the ever increasing number of immigrants to Taiwan, whether they be foreign laborers or spouses of Taiwan nationals, and give them fair treatment lest they become a "time bomb" in society.
caregivers
Ku Yu-lin (顧玉玲), TIWA secretary-general, said that although the population of domestic helpers and caregivers in Taiwan is almost 300,000, with more than 130,000 of these being foreign laborers, they have no laws to protect them.
Ku said that the alliance completed the workers' version of a domestic help service law after more than two years of efforts.
The workers' version regulates the working conditions in the domestic service sector and sets out the responsibilities of laborers, employers and brokerage agencies.
Endorsement of the bill is currently being solicited from legislators from across the party spectrum, she added.
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
Shih Hsin University President Chen Ching-he (陳清河) yesterday issued a public apology for comments made in his commencement speech last week, stating that he has asked the school to suspend his duties and halt his wages for two months as a show of contrition. At the commencement ceremony on May 30, Chen said, “If you don’t manage your time well, or your own emotions, or your health, then I am telling every one of you — put a quick end to ‘you,’ because the world has no need for ‘you.’” The comments have sparked significant controversy online, and Chen through an open
Johanne Liou (劉喬安), a Taiwanese woman who shot to unwanted fame during the Sunflower movement protests in 2014, returned to Taiwan last night after being deported from the US. She is to stand trial in Taiwan for charges involving embezzlement, fraud and drug crimes. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said it took her into custody at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and would first question her before transferring her to the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. She was arrested upon disembarking a flight from San Francisco that landed shortly before 7pm. Liou absconded to the US in 2019 after jumping bail