The Ministry of Labor (MOL) has published guidelines on the rights of female migrant workers and their children, which compile existing rules and resources for pregnant migrant workers and those with young children in Taiwan.
The document, titled “Guidelines to Protect the Rights of Female Foreign Workers and Their Children,” is in Chinese, English, Bahasa Indonesia, Vietnamese, and Thai.
It brings together information scattered across the jurisdictions of several government agencies to make it easily accessible and to better inform the public of their rights, the MOL said in a statement Monday when the guidelines were unveiled.
Photo: Lee Chin-hui, Taipei Times
Infographics in Chinese, English, Bahasa Indonesia, Vietnamese and Thai have also been published on the website.
The document covers pregnancy, childbirth, and childcare and is based on input from the migrant groups, the MOL, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Education, and the National Immigration Agency, according to the MOL.
It includes reminders on adopting contraceptive measures, and offers information on shelters for pregnant migrant workers, maternity leave rules, healthcare services covered by the national health insurance system, and information for migrant workers who need to switch jobs after giving birth.
How much the guidelines will actually address the issues faced by migrants remains unclear, even if the MOL has invoked them in response to controversies involving female migrant workers.
In a case that occurred in October 2024, for example, an Indonesian domestic caregiver made headlines after she gave birth on her own at the home of the elderly person in her care, prompting speculation that she was worried about being fired for becoming pregnant.
The MOL noted then in response that it was planning “guidelines for pregnant migrant workers” to better inform pregnant migrant workers of the resources available to them.
Lee Kai-li (李凱莉), a director at the Garden of Hope Foundation that supports migrants, commended the MOL for publishing the guidelines, which she said conveniently bring together the majority of rules and regulations regarding migrant workers in one place.
But she pointed to a major omission -- the document neglected to mention the legal liability of employers should they break these rules.
Although the guidelines mention the 1955 hotline used by migrant workers when they file complaints about their employers, this is common knowledge, and the responsibility for protecting migrant caregivers rests with local government authorities, she said.
In many cases, employers who illegally fire pregnant migrant workers have gotten away with their offenses by paying the workers severance after arbitration, Lee said.
“Local governments do not seem to think firing migrant workers illegally is something serious,” she said.
“If local governments wish to refrain from fining businesses, they should proactively communicate with business owners about this issue,” Lee said, expressing the hope that the guidelines will serve as a reminder to local authorities that the law must be enforced.
The MOL’s Workforce Development Agency (WDA) said it will promote the guidelines through various channels, including through the LINE app, radio, the Foreign National Labor Rights Portal, events held by NGOs, and the training program migrants are required to attend before starting their jobs in Taiwan.
People who have questions regarding the rights of female migrant workers and their children can contact the Integrated Service Center for Migrant Women and Children by calling 03-2522522 (Taoyuan), 04-8396532 (Changhua), 07-6156926 or 07-6156900 (Kaohsiung).
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
China’s military buildup in the southern portion of the first island chain poses a serious threat to Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, a defense analyst warned. Writing in a bulletin on the National Defense and Security Research’s Web site on Thursday, Huang Tsung-ting (黃宗鼎) said that China might choke off Taiwan’s energy supply without it. Beginning last year, China entrenched its position in the southern region of the first island chain, often with Russia’s active support, he said. In May of the same year, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) force consisting of a Type 054A destroyer, Type 055 destroyer,
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
POLICY UNCHANGED? Despite Trump’s remarks, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio assured that US policy toward Taiwan has remained consistent since the 1970s US President Donald Trump on Wednesday again refused to make clear his stance on protecting Taiwan from a hypothetical takeover by China during his presidency. Asked by a reporter during a Cabinet meeting whether it was his policy that China would never take Taiwan by force while he is president, Trump declined to give a definitive answer. “I never comment on that,” he said. “I don’t comment on it because I don’t want to ever put myself in that position.” Trump also reiterated that he has a “great relationship” with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and said that Washington welcomes good relations with
RSS