The Ministry of Labor (MOL) on Wednesday responded to criticism in a US Department of State human rights report about poor working conditions for migrant workers in Taiwan, saying that laws protect the rights of foreign workers and improvement efforts are ongoing.
The US’ 2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices said that migrant workers in Taiwan generally face exploitation and incur debt burdens in the recruitment process, due to excessive fees, guaranteed deposits, and high airfare and accommodation costs.
“Brokerage agencies often required workers to take out loans for ‘training’ and other fees at local branches of Taiwan banks in their home countries at high interest rates, leaving them vulnerable to debt bondage,” the report said.
The ministry said that existing laws forbid local brokers to charge migrant workers brokerage fees, while employers are responsible for certain expenses incurred during recruitment, such as registration and service fees.
Fees for worker training, document processing and travel arrangements are regulated by the workers’ home country, the ministry said.
The report said that foreign fishers in Taiwan are commonly subjected to mistreatment and poor working conditions, while the ministry said that experts are reviewing policies to introduce improvements.
The report cited other discriminatory measures against migrant workers, such as instances during the COVID-19 pandemic when they were prohibited from leaving their dormitories other than for work.
Migrant workers could report contraventions of the guidelines to the “1955” hotline that it oversees, the ministry said.
A NT$39 receipt for two bottles of tea at a FamilyMart was among the NT$10 million (US $312,969) special prize winners in the January-February uniform invoice lottery. FamilyMart said that two NT$10 million-winning receipts were issued at its stores, as well as two NT$2 million grand prizes and three NT$200,000 first prizes. The two NT$10 million receipts were issued at stores in Pingtung County and Yilan County’s Dongshan Township (冬山). One winner spent just NT$39 on two bottles of tea, while another spent NT$80 on water, tea and coffee, the company said. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven reported three NT$10 million winners — in New Taipei
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease. The girl left Taiwan on March 20 and the case did not have a direct impact on the local community, it said. The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said. The girl arrived in Taiwan on
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
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