The International Association of Family and Employers with Disabilities yesterday said that the Ministry of Labor’s misappropriation of the employment stabilization fund (ESF) has harmed the rights of employers and families with disabilities, and called for cuts or exemptions to ESF contributions for disadvantaged households.
The Control Yuan recently censured the ministry and its northern branch for misuse of funds, discovered during an investigation into a workplace bullying incident that resulted in the suicide of a civil servant last year.
It impeached ministry officials, including former Workforce Development Agency northern branch director Hsieh Yi-jung (謝宜容), and reported organizational failures, such as a lack of mechanisms to prevent workplace bullying and misappropriation of the ESF.
Photo: Screen grab from the IAFED Facebook page
The ESF is made up of monthly fees paid by employers of migrant workers in some sectors, including fishers, domestic caregivers and helpers, as well as construction workers engaged in designated government projects.
It is meant to fund policies and measures to mitigate the impact of hiring migrant workers on Taiwanese in the local job market.
The association expressed its support for the Control Yuan in issuing censures and requiring the ministry to implement improvements.
Families with disabled members often lack caregivers due to long-term care needs and therefore need to hire migrant workers, which incurs a monthly ESF fee of NT$2,000, it said.
The funds should be used to improve labor conditions or support disadvantaged workers, instead of being spent on irrelevant or extravagant expenses, it said.
The misappropriation of funds seriously infringes on employers’ rights and further burdens families with disabilities, it added.
The association called on the ministry to recover the misused funds, review its policies and follow the Control Yuan’s recommendations to ensure funds are allocated appropriately.
It should also consider reducing or removing ESF obligations for families who hire migrant workers to meet disability care needs, it said.
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