Long-term carers demand more – Contradiction between employers and migrant workers’ rights

Last year’s third and final reading of Article 52 of the Employment Services Act (就業服務法), which removed a requirement for foreign workers to return to their home country every three years for at least one day, was hailed as improving the rights of migrant workers. However, migrant worker groups believed that in light of the current brokerage system and the serious limitations on migrant workers’ rights, it was necessary to take to the streets in protest on the eve of Workers’ Day in the hope that the government will implement its commitment to protect migrant workers. 

The current private employment brokerage system is not only full of tedious red tape and costly, but because of its excessive reliance on private brokers, the standard of employers varies greatly; therefore, it is difficult to protect the rights of migrant workers. Coupled with the existing laws and regulations that forbid migrant workers from freely switching employers or resigning within three years of starting the contract, there is still a large disparity between the rights of migrant workers and ordinary Taiwanese workers.  

After the procession, the Ministry of Labor refused to process the demands on grounds that “employers have requirements”. Clearly, the demand for basic labor rights still has a long way to go for the 600,000-strong foreign worker population.

Long-term carers demand more – Contradiction between employers and migrant workers’ rights

URL：https://www.peopo.org/news/335477

(以下是中文對照)

長照需求漸增 雇主移工權益矛盾

去年立法院三讀通過《就業服務法》第52條修正草案，取消移工三年需出國一天的規定，使外籍移工權益有所進展。但移工團體認為，在仲介制度與移工權益上進步仍然有限，因此選在五一勞動節前發起遊行，希望政府落實保障移工的承諾。

現行私人仲介引介外籍勞工的制度，不只程序繁瑣、費用高昂，也因為過度依賴私人仲介，使得雇主素質良莠不齊，難以保障移工權利。加上現行法規限制移工三年內不得自由轉換雇主及離職，使移工的工作權益較本國勞工不利。

遊行結束後，勞動部以「雇主有需求」為由，回絕遊行訴求。然而台灣已有60萬人口的外籍移工，對於基本勞動權益的需求，卻仍有很長一段路要走。