As the COVID-19 pandemic worsens, the number of migrant workers testing positive for COVID-19 upon entering Taiwan continues to increase. This highlights yet again the poor conditions migrant workers face during airport pickups by medical management companies and travel to their employer.
The Workforce Development Agency, which is responsible for the management of foreign workers in Taiwan, collects almost NT$20 billion (US$701 million) annually from employers for the Ministry of Labor’s (MOL) Employment Stabilization Fund, but it does not come up with ways to improve the situation for workers.
Agency Deputy Director-General Tsai Meng-liang (蔡孟樑) even announced that employers and agencies would be fined NT$60,000 to NT$300,000 if they are not careful in the selection of the medical management companies that pick up the workers.
The ministry must be strongly criticized for this lack of action, and it should produce a list of trustworthy medical management firms for employers to use, as well as plans on how to improve the situation.
More than four years ago, after receiving reports of poor working conditions from Thai workers, the Taiwan office of the Thai Ministry of Labor contacted employment service institute associations in Taipei, New Taipei City and Taoyuan, providing them with photos showing the dirty environments and cramped mosquito, fly, flea and lice-infested spaces where men and women lived together.
There is a severe shortage of rest areas for migrant workers, and there are not enough toilets or places for them to sleep or eat.
At a meeting chaired by Tsai soon after the Thai office’s report, one of the associations proposed — in front of representatives of countries from which labor is imported — that rest stations for migrant workers should be established.
The MOL was urged to coordinate with local governments in the vicinities of airports to provide premises for the workers, and the associations should fund the establishment of rest stations to provide a clean and comfortable place to rest, with free board and lodging on the first night after a worker’s arrival in Taiwan.
Since that meeting, the MOL has taken no action, and as medical management companies could breach anti-epidemic measures, the MOL has shifted the blame and responsibility back to employers and agencies.
This is the same kind of response that it had to the issue of an increasing number of migrant workers who had skipped their contracts: It did not consider amending the law to prevent it, but shifted responsibility to the National Immigration Agency, making employers and agencies scapegoats, and the targets of arbitrary punishment.
Employers pay nearly NT$20 billion to the Employment Stabilization Fund each year, making up a small treasury for the MOL, which should be used to improve employment training and services for all.
Instead, this money, the blood and sweat of local workers, is used to subsidize industrial and commercial organizations, social welfare groups, labor associations and labor and social movement organizations. The proportion that goes to employers and migrant workers is disproportionately small.
The Employment Stabilization Fund should be treated like Singapore’s poll tax for migrant workers and directly incorporated into the national treasury for the government to use according to its needs, rather than being used by agencies and political parties to co-opt industry or labor organizations.
Steve Kuan is a former chairman of the Taipei and New Taipei City employment service institute associations.
Translated by Lin Lee-Kai
After nine days of holidays for the Lunar New Year, government agencies and companies are to reopen for operations today, including the Legislative Yuan. Many civic groups are expected to submit their recall petitions this week, aimed at removing many Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers from their seats. Since December last year, the KMT and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) passed three controversial bills to paralyze the Constitutional Court, alter budgetary allocations and make recalling elected officials more difficult by raising the threshold. The amendments aroused public concern and discontent, sparking calls to recall KMT legislators. After KMT and TPP legislators again
Taiwan faces complex challenges like other Asia-Pacific nations, including demographic decline, income inequality and climate change. In fact, its challenges might be even more pressing. The nation struggles with rising income inequality, declining birthrates and soaring housing costs while simultaneously navigating intensifying global competition among major powers. To remain competitive in the global talent market, Taiwan has been working to create a more welcoming environment and legal framework for foreign professionals. One of the most significant steps in this direction was the enactment of the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (外國專業人才延攬及僱用法) in 2018. Subsequent amendments in
US President Donald Trump on Saturday signed orders to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China effective from today. Trump decided to slap 25 percent tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada as well as 10 percent on those coming from China, but would only impose a 10 percent tariff on Canadian energy products, including oil and electricity. Canada and Mexico on Sunday quickly responded with retaliatory tariffs against the US, while countermeasures from China are expected soon. Nevertheless, Trump announced yesterday to delay tariffs on Mexico and Canada for a month and said he would hold further talks with
Taiwan’s undersea cables connecting it to the world were allegedly severed several times by a Chinese ship registered under a flag of convenience. As the vessel sailed, it used several different automatic identification systems (AIS) to create fake routes. That type of “shadow fleet” and “gray zone” tactics could create a security crisis in Taiwan and warrants response measures. The concept of a shadow fleet originates from the research of Elisabeth Braw, senior fellow at the Washington-based Atlantic Council. The phenomenon was initiated by authoritarian countries such as Iran, North Korea and Russia, which have been hit by international economic
RSS