Workers’ groups on Tuesday called on the Ministry of Labor to drop a plan that would require migrant workers planning to change jobs to go through a government-run employment service agency, with priority being given to workers transferring to a similar line of work.
Given the rising number of foreign caregivers transferring to industry jobs, the ministry announced plans to amend the Directions of the Employment Transfer Regulations and Employment Qualifications for Foreigners Engaging in the Jobs Specified in Items 8-11, Paragraph 1, Article 46 of the Employment Services Act (外國人受聘僱從事就業服務法第46條第1項第8款至第11款規定工作之轉換雇主或工作程序準則) to govern such transfers.
The proposed changes would require foreign workers planning to change jobs to apply with a public employment service agency, which would draft a three-party agreement between the worker, the former employer and the new employer.
A group of foreign workers on Tuesday staged a protest against the proposed changes in front of the ministry building in Taipei.
Many people think that foreign workers wanting to change jobs are “jumping ship” or “cheating their employers,” but what is really driving them is the poor environment for long-term healthcare workers, Taiwan International Workers’ Union member Chen Hsiu-lien (陳秀蓮) said.
Caregivers earn just NT$566 a day, with long working hours and little to no leave, she said.
The ministry had promised to hold public hearings about the amendment, but have failed to follow through, she said.
Long-term healthcare workers have a hard job and many receive below minimum wage, with no days off, said a Filipina called Lovely, adding that many hope to transfer to factory jobs where they can receive regular pay.
The union called on the ministry to halt the amendment process and convene public hearings to hear their concerns.
Taiwanese law should offer better protection to foreign caregivers and step up efforts to rectify flaws in the nation’s long-term healthcare system, it said.
The ministry said the proposal was prompted by concern over the sharp increase in foreign workers transferring to other types of work, with official statistics showing that for the first five months of this year, 1,751 foreign caregivers had shifted to factory jobs, from 287 for the whole of last year.
The ministry added that it has never prohibited foreign workers, including victims of human trafficking, sexual harassment or assault and physical mistreatment, from seeking employment in other lines of work if their future employer could submit the proper paperwork.
All suggestions regarding the proposed amendments are welcome until Aug. 9, the ministry said.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by