Indonesian labor authorities are planning to raise the issue of higher wages for their country’s migrant domestic workers.
Agusdin Subiantoro, deputy director of Indonesia’s Agency for the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers, told reporters in an interview earlier this week that the request would be made in light of the significant gap between the wages of migrant domestic caregivers and migrant factory workers.
Indonesian domestic caregivers in Taiwan earn NT$17,000 per month on average, while migrant factory workers are paid at least NT$21,009 — in accordance with the monthly minimum wage — which was increased this year from last year’s NT$20,008, Agusdin said.
The Indonesian government is seeking to narrow that gap and is to ask Taipei to raise the monthly wage of Indonesian home helps and domestic caregivers to NT$19,000 with effect from next year.
The government raises the minimum wage almost every year, Agusdin said, adding that factory workers and caregivers in institutions are covered by that labor regulation, while domestic workers are not.
Indonesia plans to raise the issue this year during its meeting with Taiwan on labor affairs and to take a firm stance, he said.
Soes Hindarno, director of the Indonesian labor agency, expressed the hope that Indonesian fishery workers working for Taiwanese operators would also receive better wages that would be more in line with the minimum wage.
The working conditions of migrant fishery workers also need to be improved, Soes said.
As of last year, Indonesia was the largest source of migrant workers, accounting for 245,180 of Taiwan’s total of 624,768, Ministry of Labor data showed.
Nearly 80 percent, or about 170,000, of foreign caregivers in Taiwan were Indonesians, the data showed.
In August 2015, Taiwan and Indonesia agreed to raise the minimum monthly wage of Indonesian domestic workers from NT$15,840 to NT$17,000.
TRAFFIC SAFETY RULES: A positive result in a drug test would result in a two-year license suspension for the driver and vehicle, and a fine of up to NT$180,000 The Ministry of Transportation and Communications is to authorize police to conduct roadside saliva tests by the end of the year to deter people from driving while under the influence of narcotics, it said yesterday. The ministry last month unveiled a draft of amended regulations governing traffic safety rules and penalties, which included provisions empowering police to conduct mandatory saliva tests on drivers. While currently rules authorize police to use oral fluid testing kits for signs of drug use, they do not establish penalties for noncompliance or operating procedures for officers to follow, the ministry said. The proposed changes to the regulations require
The Executive Yuan yesterday announced that registration for a one-time universal NT$10,000 cash handout to help people in Taiwan survive US tariffs and inflation would start on Nov. 5, with payouts available as early as Nov. 12. Who is eligible for the handout? Registered Taiwanese nationals are eligible, including those born in Taiwan before April 30 next year with a birth certificate. Non-registered nationals with residence permits, foreign permanent residents and foreign spouses of Taiwanese citizens with residence permits also qualify for the handouts. For people who meet the eligibility requirements, but passed away between yesterday and April 30 next year, surviving family members
Taipei, New Taipei City, Keelung and Taoyuan would issue a decision at 8pm on whether to cancel work and school tomorrow due to forecasted heavy rain, Keelung Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑) said today. Hsieh told reporters that absent some pressing reason, the four northern cities would announce the decision jointly at 8pm. Keelung is expected to receive between 300mm and 490mm of rain in the period from 2pm today through 2pm tomorrow, Central Weather Administration data showed. Keelung City Government regulations stipulate that school and work can be canceled if rain totals in mountainous or low-elevation areas are forecast to exceed 350mm in
China Airlines Ltd (CAL) yesterday morning joined SkyTeam’s Aviation Challenge for the fourth time, operating a demonstration flight for “net zero carbon emissions” from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to Bangkok. The flight used sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at a ratio of up to 40 percent, the highest proportion CAL has achieved to date, the nation’s largest carrier said. Since April, SAF has become available to Taiwanese international carriers at Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport), Kaohsiung International Airport and Taoyuan airport. In previous challenges, CAL operated “net zero carbon emission flights” to Singapore and Japan. At a ceremony at Taoyuan airport, China Airlines chief sustainability
RSS