Taiwan would continue to strive to improve hiring practices and it already prohibits charging migrant workers recruitment fees, the Ministry of Labor said in a statement on Thursday in response to a joint letter issued on Sept. 11 by the American Apparel & Footwear Association that urged the government to prohibit brokers from charging “monthly fees and any other recruitment fees and associated costs.”
The letter, addressed to Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo (郭智輝), also called on Taiwan to make improvements on other issues, including protecting and promoting migrant workers’ access to unions or independent workers’ associations, and streamlining the application process for those who want to change employers.
The 50 signatories are global brands including Adidas, ASICS, Gap, Hugo Boss, Lacoste, Levi Strauss & Co, Marks and Spencer, Nike, Patagonia and Puma.
Photo: Lee Chin-hui, Taipei Times
Citing principles of the International Labour Organization’s Fair Recruitment Initiative, the labor ministry said that Taiwan already prohibits brokers in the country from imposing recruitment fees or other similar costs on migrant workers.
Meanwhile, the ministry said it recommends that foreign governments promote direct hiring so employers in Taiwan can directly hire workers from their respective countries without needing to pay brokerage fees.
To ensure migrant workers in Taiwan are treated fairly, a lot of measures have already been introduced, including the establishment of a one-stop service center for live-in caregivers, as well as the provision of orientation training, the ministry said.
Like Taiwanese workers, migrant workers can also join labor unions and enroll in the Labor Occupational Accident Insurance program, it said.
Local employers that hire migrant workers are required to cover their labor and health insurance, as well as administrative costs when applying for employment permits, all in accordance with Taiwan’s labor laws, it said.
The ministry would continue to listen to opinions from the public as the country moves toward the goal of fair recruitment so as to better protect the rights and interests of migrant workers, it added.
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