More than 90 percent of voters in a mock referendum supported changing the system governing migrant workers, results released on Saturday showed.
As of Nov. 12, 8,207 votes had been cast in the mock referendum on issues facing foreign workers, the Migrants Empowerment Network in Taiwan said.
Voting began on Sept. 17 at 15 designated locations across the nation.
Everyone is invited to vote on three issues: whether migrant caregivers should be protected under the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法), whether foreign workers should be able to freely change employers and whether the government should get rid of the private employment brokerage system.
The fourth opening of the ballot boxes showed a total of 8,141 votes in favor of protecting migrant caregivers and 10 against, while 56 votes were invalid.
On the second topic, 8,122 were in favor of letting migrant workers change employers freely, while 47 votes were cast in opposition and 38 were invalid.
Regarding abolishing the brokerage system, 8,130 votes were in favor and 36 against, while 41 were invalid.
The number of votes continues to increase, network coordinator Hsu Chun-huai (許淳淮) said, adding that he hopes 10,000 votes will have been cast when the ballot boxes are opened again in two weeks.
PARADE
Voting is to continue until Dec. 10, and the final results are to be announced at a migrant workers’ parade scheduled for Dec. 17.
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