The Cabinet's Council of Labor Affairs yesterday released a new white paper on foreign labor policy, which states that foreign workers will suffer pay deductions for accommodation fees. The council insisted that restrictions on brokerage fees would lessen the deduction's impact.
To reduce employers' financial burdens, the council will permit accommodation fees of up to NT$4,000 to be deducted each month from the average foreign workers' monthly wage of NT$15,840.
The deduction, effective Nov. 9, is expected to save Taiwanese employers about NT$10 billion per year, said Kuo Feng-yu (郭芳煜), head of the council's employment and vocational training administration (職訓局).
Foreign caretakers and housekeepers will have to negotiate on the matter with prospective employers before accepting a new post.
"We do not suggest these deduction for domestic workers because they have no choice but to live with whom they work for," said Tsai Meng-liang (蔡孟良), a section chief from the same bureau.
Although not stipulated in any regulation, the council previously asked employers to provide free community accommodations for foreign workers.
The council argued that cuts in brokerage fees would compensate foreign workers for the new payments, which can total as high as NT$50,000 per year per worker for food and housing.
According to the council, foreign brokers should not charge more than NT$15,840 per worker.
Currently, in addition to legitimate fees of about NT$20,000, black market "fees" as high as NT$10,000 per month for as long as one year are often deducted from foreign workers' wages. The extra fees are classified as "loans" by brokers in the laborers' home countries, according to the council.
"The council has won the cooperation of the labor-exporting countries in regulating brokers' fees in foreign workers' home countries," Tsai said.
"Countries who do not respect Taiwan's regulations will suffer a freeze in their labor export quota to Taiwan," the council said.
Taiwan's 319,240 foreign workers hail primarily from the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand.
The government is also negotiating with North Korea, India, Magnolia, Myanmar and Sri Lanka for the importation of labor.
Taiwanese brokers, meanwhile, will no longer be allowed to charge foreign workers brokerage fees. But monthly service fees for foreign workers will rise from the present NT$1,000 charge. Workers will have to pay local agents NT$1,800, NT$1,700 and NT$1,500 per month, respectively, during their first, second and third years.
Foreign workers used to pay their Taiwanese brokers a total of about NT$50,000 per contract. Many have also been saddled with other brokerage fees to compensate for kickbacks paid by Taiwanese labor brokers to employers.
The council will request that local employers stop accepting kickbacks from local brokers, as this money would still be recouped by employers through the new deductions from foreign laborers.
The report, framed in the context of conclusions reached by the Economic Development Advisory Conference in August, also points to the government's determination to control the number of foreign workers so as to ensure opportunities for Taiwanese workers, which has become a major issue since the unemployment rate soared past 5 percent earlier this year.
More restrictions were announced for Taiwanese seeking foreign housekeepers, but restrictions on foreigners in Taiwan wanting to hire non-Taiwanese domestic help were relaxed.
According to the report, foreigners employed by local companies whose personal yearly income exceeds NT$3 million or whose monthly income is over NT$250,000 can now apply for non-Taiwanese housekeepers.
"The relaxation is to encourage foreign professionals to contribute to the local economy and in response to requests from foreign business associations."
Previous regulations stipulated that foreigners with such income could only submit applications if they worked for foreign companies in Taiwan.
Expatriot executives whose foreign-based companies have investments of over NT$200 million in Taiwan or yearly business turnover exceeding NT$500 million can now hire foreign domestic help. In addition, general managers of foreign companies whose local investments exceed NT$100 million or whose yearly business turnover is over NT$1 billion, are also eligible.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS