The Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) yesterday said it had met its target of cutting the foreign workforce by at least 30,000 people this year.
Earlier this year, Council of Labor Affairs Minister Jennifer Wang (王如玄) said the council would cut the foreign workforce, mainly in the manufacturing, construction and technology industries.
The decision came amid pressure from labor groups demanding that the council reduce the foreign workforce to protect the jobs of Taiwanese workers, as unemployment had climbed since the start of the economic downturn last year.
The council yesterday said that in the past six months, it had slashed about 37,000 foreign jobs. The country has 341,000 foreign workers at factories, one of the main sectors employing foreign workers.
Council figures indicated that the number of foreign workers had steadily increased in the past years, peaking at 374,000 in July last year. Since then, numbers have fallen by thousands each month to reach 341,000 at the end of last month.
Cuts to the foreign workforce have met with opposition from some labor groups, such as the Taiwan International Workers Association, which said the council treated foreign workers as if they were disposable, sending them home as soon as the economy starts performing poorly.
But other labor groups urged the council to cut foreign labor to protect Taiwanese workers.
“I’m glad to hear the CLA managed to cut so much foreign labor within half a year,” said Son Yu-lian (孫友聯), secretary-general of the Taiwan Labor Front. “But it’s still important for the CLA to conduct a comprehensive review of its foreign labor policies. Does Taiwan really need so many foreign workers?”
He said many foreign workers faced hardships such as being forced to take unpaid leave and wanted to go home because they were not making enough money to cover their living expenses in Taiwan.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man