Employer groups submitted their petitions to the Ministry of Labor today (27th). Su Yuguo (middle), leader of the Transnational Workforce Management Group of the Ministry of Labor’s Workforce Development Administration, came forward to accept the employer group’s “war invitation.” (Photo by reporter Li Lianghui)
[Reporter Li Jinghui/Report from Taipei] Employer groups gathered today (27th) home care employers, families of disabled people, industrial employers and fishing vessel owners, and went straight to the Ministry of Labor to "defeat" Minister Hong Shenhan, inviting Hong Shenhan to hold a public policy debate with Taiwan employer representatives. Su Yuguo, head of the Transnational Workforce Management Team of the Workforce Development Administration of the Ministry of Labor, came forward today to accept the "challenge message" from employer groups, saying that he would truthfully convey the voices of employer groups and discuss with relevant ministries as soon as possible how to plan supporting measures.
In response to the demands raised by civil society regarding the rights of migrant employers, the Ministry of Labor issued a three-point response after the meeting:
First, fair recruitment adjustments and supporting measures
European and American demands to ban forced labor in supply chains have entered trade negotiations and supply chain management, and are not just for Taiwan. Taking into account the affordability of Taiwan's industries, the government's commitment to fair recruitment during the negotiations on the Taiwan-US reciprocal trade agreement was limited to the manufacturing and fishing industries, and did not apply to household employers. The Ministry of Labor has sought a three-year buffer adjustment period to give Taiwan's industries more time and space to respond. It also cooperated with the competent authorities of the target industries and released the "Guidelines for Enterprises to Prevent Forced Labor" in February this year. It also cooperated with the Ministry of Economic Affairs to plan the establishment of a "Fair Recruitment Counseling Group" to provide corporate consultation and factory entry guidance. Next, we will also reduce the hiring costs of industry players by assisting in the transparency of overseas recruitment fees and seeking tax deductions.
As for the fishing industry, the Ministry of Labor will also cooperate with the Ministry of Agriculture to strengthen country-to-country recruitment programs, guide fishing industry employers to reduce business risks, steadily integrate with the international market, and collaboratively plan related supporting facilities that meet industry needs and help reduce employment costs.
2. Care needs and support of family employers
Although household employers are not a target of fair recruitment as promised in the Taiwan-US Reciprocal Trade Agreement, the government will continue to review relevant policies with the goal of assisting household employers’ needs and situations. In particular, the employment situation of family employers is different from that of enterprises. If migrant workers are on vacation, lost contact, or seriously injured, especially families with severe disabilities, they may face heavier caregiving pressure.
Therefore, the Ministry of Labor will continue to review relevant systems and policies, strengthen inter-departmental cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Welfare, expand public care resources for family employers, and provide smoother system connection, and try to reduce the interruption of care that family employers, especially families with severe illnesses, may face. At present, the government has budgeted about NT$2 billion to provide respite and short-term care services, which total 52 days per year, and will continue to be reviewed and increased in the future.
3. Continuously improve the problem of missing migrant workers
The Ministry of Labor pointed out that the government continues to improve the prevention, management and investigation of missing migrant workers from the perspective of management mechanisms, reducing the causes of missing people, strengthening investigation and inter-ministerial cooperation, etc. The incidence of missing migrant workers has dropped from a peak of nearly 6% in 2011 to 114 3% in 2015, and has continued to decline in 2015; at the same time, the cumulative number of missing migrant workers has dropped from a high of nearly 95,000 at the end of 2014 to approximately 89,000 in August 2015, indicating that the relevant intensive measures have achieved initial results.
The Ministry of Labor emphasized that it will work with various industry authorities to guide employers and labor agencies in implementing labor selection, employment management, and legal compliance responsibilities. Through inter-ministerial cooperation between the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of the Interior, it will strengthen information connection and use of technology for investigation. In particular, it will focus on illegal intermediaries and illegal groups behind the scenes to prevent missing migrant workers from the source and crack down on underground illegal media.
