The Barthel index used by the Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) to determine whether a local family can hire a foreign caregiver can be subject to review whenever necessary, a labor affairs official said yesterday.
Tsai Meng-liang (蔡孟良), a CLA official in charge of foreign laborers' vocational training, made the remarks at a public hearing on caregiver issues sponsored by Legislator Hsu Yuan-kuo (許淵國) of the People First Party.
The Barthel index assesses the degree of disability in a particular individual.
During the hearing, Chuang An-chi (莊安琪), a representative of employers of foreign caregivers, complained that the existing Barthel index adapted by the CLA is too stringent.
"According to the CLA standards, only those who have an almost completely disabled family member can hire a foreign caregiver. It's a nightmare for prospective employers. For instance, only a terminally-ill cancer patient can apply to hire a foreign caregiver. In many cases, when the applicant finally receives a CLA permit, the patient has already died," Chuang said.
In response, Tsai said, the CLA is willing to review its measurement system whenever necessary. Nevertheless, he added, the ceiling on the total number of foreign laborers to be imported must be maintained. Tsai said the CLA will discuss technical details regarding amendments to foreign caregiver employment regulations.
During the hearing, Legislator Hsu pointed out that the current NT$15,840 minimum wage protection for foreign caregivers tends to encourage them to abscond from their original workplace shortly before their work contracts expire so that they can find another job illegally in Taiwan.
"The minimum wage is usually 10 times the amount a foreign laborer can earn in his or her home country. Against this backdrop, foreign laborers like to run away before their original work contract expire so that they can continue staying in Taiwan to work. I think we should cancel minimum wage protection for foreign laborers, " Hsu said, adding he believes that the stringent regulations for hiring foreign workers are one of reasons for local employers to be willing to employ runaway foreign laborers.
Commenting on Hsu's proposals, Tsai said lowering the minimum wage for foreign workers would affect local people's job opportunities. Under current regulations, he added, a local employer who hires an absconded foreign worker could face a fine ranging between NT$150,000 and NT$700,000.
Taiwan now has more than 300,000 legal foreign workers, most of whom are from Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and Mongolia.
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