A coalition of civic groups yesterday gathered at Taipei Main Station to raise awareness of abuses against female migrant workers and the fate of Palestinians in the ongoing war in Gaza.
The theme of the rally, held in support of the “One Billion Rising” global campaign launched in 2012 to end violence against women, was “unite for a world free from war, exploitation and displacement,” with female migrant workers’ rights a key focus of the event, the groups said in a news release.
Shouting slogans such as “migrant women, fight for equal workers’ rights,” dozens of migrant workers marched around Taipei Main Station to mark the end of International Women’s Month.
Photo: CNA
People later gathered in the concourse of the station to give short speeches.
National Domestic Workers’ Union chairwoman Balderama Francia from the Philippines said she had been severely beaten while working as a domestic caregiver in Taiwan.
When she worked as a factory worker and fell ill, her recruitment agency in Taiwan did not provide her with any assistance even though they took more than NT$1,000 from her monthly salary as “service fees,” Francia said.
Migrant workers are often indebted due to the fees charged by recruitment agencies, she said.
Live-in caregivers are not protected under the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法), she said, urging governments in Taiwan and the home countries of migrant workers to address such “injustices.”
Serve the People Foundation migrant worker policies director Lennon Wang (汪英達) said crews on fishing boats, who are also excluded from the Labor Standards Act, are treated unfairly.
In the more than 30 years since Taiwan first began recruiting migrant workers, non-governmental organizations have repeatedly petitioned the government to implement “fair recruitment principles” so migrants do not have to pay for work, but their demands have fallen on deaf ears every time, Wang said.
The situation in Gaza and the fate of Palestinians were also highlighted at the rally.
Amel Eid, a Palestinian working as a psychologist in Taiwan, said female migrant workers and Palestinian women share common daily struggles for survival and dignity.
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