The government understands the demands of migrant workers to abolish the broker system, but the free market also plays a role, as employers have a say over how they hire, the Ministry of Labor said on Sunday.
The ministry issued the statement after a group of migrant workers from Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines earlier in the day protested in Taipei, demanding the abolishment of placement agencies and the enforcement of a compulsory government-to-government hiring system.
The Taiwan International Workers’ Association’s Meriam Hsu said that even though direct-hiring programs exist between Taiwan and labor-exporting countries in Southeast Asia, job vacancies are often controlled by placement agencies and brokers.
As a result, migrant workers in Taiwan who want to extend a contract or need to change employers are charged transfer or “job buying” fees of NT$35,000 to NT$80,000, which is against the law, Hsu said.
Vietnamese worker Thieu Van Loi said that his compatriots are charged as much as US$7,000 before they can work in Taiwan, even though the law does not allow a fee of more than US$4,000 for services and placing them with an employer.
They also face broker fees of NT$1,500 to NT$1,800 per month after arriving in Taiwan in exchange for service that is far from satisfying, he said.
The protesters urged the government to find out why the problems still exist, despite the passage of an amendment to Article 52 of the Employment Service Act (就業服務法) in 2016 that eliminated a requirement that foreign workers leave Taiwan for at least one day upon expiration of an employment permit to start a new contract.
Workforce Development Agency section chief Hsueh Chien-chung (薛鑑忠) said that most employers prefer to hire migrant workers through brokers or placement agencies because of the convenience.
Employers prefer to work through brokers and have them handle the paperwork, screen the workers and handle any problems, Hsueh said.
In direct-hire programs, governments only provide pools of potential employees, but it is up to companies to select workers via video interviews or by traveling abroad, he said.
Issues related to transfer fees are not likely to be discussed in the near future, Hsueh said, adding that brokers who demand placement fees from migrant workers face fines of 10 to 20 times the amount they collect and their agency would face closure if they are found guilty.
A press release issued by the ministry in August 2017 said that placement agencies and brokers are not allowed to collect placement fees from migrant workers.
They are only allowed to charge service fees ranging from NT$1,500 to NT$1,800 per month, it said.
Taiwan is to commence mass production of the Tien Kung (天弓, “Sky Bow”) III, IV and V missiles by the second quarter of this year if the legislature approves the government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.78 billion) special defense budget, an official said yesterday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said that the advanced systems are expected to provide crucial capabilities against ballistic and cruise missiles for the proposed “T-Dome,” an advanced, multi-layered air defense network. The Tien Kung III is an air defense missile with a maximum interception altitude of 35km. The Tien Kung IV and V
The disruption of 941 flights in and out of Taiwan due to China’s large-scale military exercises was no accident, but rather the result of a “quasi-blockade” used to simulate creating the air and sea routes needed for an amphibious landing, a military expert said. The disruptions occurred on Tuesday and lasted about 10 hours as China conducted live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait. The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said the exercises affected 857 international flights and 84 domestic flights, affecting more than 100,000 travelers. Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the government-sponsored Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the air
Trips for more than 100,000 international and domestic air travelers could be disrupted as China launches a military exercise around Taiwan today, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday. The exercise could affect nearly 900 flights scheduled to enter the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) during the exercise window, it added. A notice issued by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration showed there would be seven temporary zones around the Taiwan Strait which would be used for live-fire exercises, lasting from 8am to 6pm today. All aircraft are prohibited from entering during exercise, it says. Taipei FIR has 14 international air routes and
Taiwan lacks effective and cost-efficient armaments to intercept rockets, making the planned “T-Dome” interception system necessary, two experts said on Tuesday. The concerns were raised after China’s military fired two waves of rockets during live-fire drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, part of two-day exercises code-named “Justice Mission 2025.” The first wave involved 17 rockets launched at 9am from Pingtan in China’s Fujian Province, according to Lieutenant General Hsieh Jih-sheng (謝日升) of the Office of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Intelligence at the Ministry of National Defense. Those rockets landed 70 nautical miles (129.6km) northeast of Keelung without flying over Taiwan,
RSS