The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) legislative caucus yesterday threatened to freeze the annual budget of the Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) if it fails to improve the working conditions and human rights of foreign laborers, in the aftermath of a riot by Thai workers in Kaohsiung.
"The government should use this incident to reflect, and ponder a way to solve this problem," TSU Legislator Tseng Tsan-teng (
About 300 Thai workers, who are building Kaohsiung mass rapid transit (MRT) system, set fire to a management office and damaged other facilities on Sunday night as they vented their anger for what they called inhumane treatment.
PHOTO: WANG RONG-HSIANG, TAIPEI TIMES
Tseng said that although the CLA has set up a toll-free hotline for foreign workers, the line is always busy and the call center is understaffed, with only four people.
Tseng called on the government to look into the rumor that some government officials, including former and incumbent lawmakers, are behind broker company's exploitation and maltreatment of foreign workers.
"I have heard that one former lawmaker has been using his privileges to manipulate the foreign laborer market, and that he is not acting alone but as a group," he said, refusing to elaborate.
TSU Legislator Lai Shin-yuan (
She cited a media report indicating that an inmate stays in a room that is about 0.7 ping, but a Thai worker gets to stay in a space that is only 0.47 ping. The Thai workers are not allowed to use or own cellphones, while prisoners get to see visitors via videoconferencing devices.
Lai said that such maltreatment is just the tip of the iceberg.
"Since foreign workers were first introduced to the local labor market in 1989, the CLA has been conniving with broker companies to exploit foreign workers like slaves," she said.
Another TSU legislator, David Huang (
Saying that it is an "open secret" that some lawmakers collude with broker companies to bring in foreign laborers and share benefits, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsu Chong-hsiung (
In related developments, Thailand said yesterday it will delay sending some 800 laborers to Taiwan while it reviews the contracts of its overseas workers.
Thai Labor Minister Somsak Thepsutin said the violence was an isolated incident and would not affect the country's reputation.
"We will delay the travel of 800 workers going to Taiwan and we will review all contracts, starting with those in Taiwan," he told reporters.
Somsak did not say why the contracts would be reviewed, but Thai media reports have said that many of the arrangements are unfair to workers.
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said the de facto Thai embassy in Taipai was negotiating with authorities there.
He added that he opposed sending unskilled laborers to other countries.
According to statistics of National Police Administration (NPA), workers from Thailand form the largest foreign labor group in Taiwan. NPA figures show there are now more than 94,000 Thai people working in the country.
In terms of nationality, 94,742 foreign workers were from Thailand, accounting for 34.1 percent of all foreign laborers in the country.
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
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