Dozens of migrant workers employed as caregivers rallied in front of the Ministry of Labor in Taipei yesterday morning, calling on the ministry to protect their right to have one day off — 24 consecutive hours — every seven days.
“I want days off, because I am a human being,” the crowd, mostly dressed in white, chanted during the rally organized by the Taoyuan Domestic Caretakers Union.
They held up a large, colorful “petition patchwork quilt” made by caretakers who do not get days off, with slogans written in English.
Photo: CNA
Filipina Aileen said she had worked in Taiwan for six years, but for the first three years her then-employer did not give her one day off, while many foreign caregivers are asked to work all day, every day of the year.
The association said there are about 230,000 foreign caregivers in Taiwan, and more than 60 percent have no days off.
Asking for days off is not asking for additional rights, because days off are included in the employment contracts signed by the caregivers and their employers, so the ministry should protect the caregivers’ rights and tell employers to adhere to the contracts, association chairperson Huang Tzu-hua (黃姿華) said.
Photo: CNA
Overtime pay for foreign caregivers is NT$567 per day, which many employers regard as a minimal cost, so many of them would rather pay additional money instead of letting workers have a day off, Huang said.
Caregivers should receive one day off per week, and that day should be considered a full 24 hours, during which time a worker should not have to stay at their employer’s home, Huang said.
The government should provide respite care subsidies for employers who have to hire a temporary caregiver on their regular caregiver’s days off, because existing long-term care policies currently do not allow for such financial assistance, the association said.
This means that many employers cannot afford to let workers take days off, or take trips home to see their own families, it said.
Among those supporting the foreign caregivers at the rally was Nan Kuang-yuan (南光遠), who employs a foreign caregiver.
Foreign caregivers often cannot speak for themselves because they are not citizens, so he and the association hope the government can raise public awareness to let employers know the caregivers’ right to one day off per week, as regulated by their employment contract, he said.
The ministry issued a press release at noon, saying that employment contracts for foreign caregivers are required to include one day off every seven days, so the ministry urges employers to abide by such contracts.
The labor ministry is working with the Ministry of Health and Welfare to include respite care subsidies for families with foreign caregivers, but caregivers whose rights are being infringed can call the government’s 1955 foreign workers’ consultation and appeal hotline for help, the statement said.
‘JOINT SWORD’: Whatever President Lai says in his Double Ten speech, China would use it as a pretext to launch ‘punishment’ drills for his ‘separatist’ views, an official said China is likely to launch military drills this week near Taiwan, using President William Lai’s (賴清德) upcoming national day speech as a pretext to pressure the nation to accept its sovereignty claims, Taiwanese officials said. China in May launched “punishment” drills around Taiwan shortly after Lai’s inauguration, in what Beijing said was a response to “separatist acts,” sending heavily armed warplanes and staging mock attacks as state media denounced newly inaugurated Lai. The May drills were dubbed “Joint Sword — 2024A” and drew concerns from capitals, including Washington. Lai is to deliver a key speech on Thursday in front of the Presidential Office
An aviation jacket patch showing a Formosan black bear punching Winnie the Pooh has become popular overseas, including at an aviation festival held by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force at the Ashiya Airbase yesterday. The patch was designed last year by Taiwanese designer Hsu Fu-yu (徐福佑), who said that it was inspired by Taiwan’s countermeasures against frequent Chinese military aircraft incursions. The badge shows a Formosan black bear holding a Republic of China flag as it punches Winnie the Pooh — a reference to Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) — who is dressed in red and is holding a honey pot with
Taiwan was listed in 14th place among the world's wealthiest country in terms of GDP per capita, in the latest rankings released on Monday by Forbes magazine. Taiwan's GDP per capita was US$76,860, which put it at No. 14 on the list of the World's 100 Richest Countries this year, one spot above Hong Kong with US$75,130. The magazine's list of the richest countries in the world is compiled based on GDP per capita data, as estimated by the IMF. However, for a more precise measure of a nation's wealth, the magazine also considers purchasing power parity, which is a metric used to
NINTH MONTH: There were 11,792 births in Taiwan last month and 15,563 deaths, or a mortality rate of 8.11 per 1,000 people, household registration data showed Taiwan’s population was 23,404,138 as of last month, down 2,470 from August, the ninth consecutive month this year that the nation has reported a drop, the Ministry of the Interior said on Wednesday. The population last month was 162 fewer than the same month last year, a decline of 0.44 per day, the ministry said, citing household registration data. Taiwan reported 11,792 births last month, or 3.7 births per day, up 149 from August, it said, adding that the monthly birthrate was 6.15 per 1,000 people. The jurisdictions with the highest birthrates were Yunlin County at 14.62 per 1,000 people, Penghu County (8.61
RSS