TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Over 500 people gathered in Taipei’s Ximen area on Sunday (Dec. 10) calling on the government to end the private agency system used to hire migrant workers.
The protest was co-organized by the Migrant Empowerment in Network Taiwan (MENT), who in a press release blamed government failures for the illegal fees that migrant workers pay private brokers in return for employment in Taiwan. MENT said more than 1,000 local intermediary firms are earning illegal profits by exploiting migrant labor.
Nearly 50 social organizations joined the protest in solidarity with migrant workers, alongside the eight groups that organized the rally. In addition to MENT, organizers included Stella Maris International, the Taiwan International Workers Association, religious labor groups, unions, and others.
According to international labor law, it is illegal to charge fees in return for offering work. However, the practice remains widespread in Taiwan, particularly for migrants who travel to Taiwan for work.
“The result of the Taiwan government’s 30 years of indulgence in the ‘privatization of cross-border job matchmaking for disadvantaged workers’ has not only resulted in the ‘monopolization of the entire migrant job market by private agents,’ but has also used the blood and sweat of migrant workers to benefit private agents,” MENT said.
Protestors said that the in response to calls for better regulation, the government’s position has been vague and inadequate. They said that the Ministry of Labor is attempting to address abuses on a case-by-case basis, when the issue is systemic. “The Ministry of Labor is even deliberately distorting the general plight of migrant workers,” the MENT press release said.
Protestors march to the Ministry of Labor in Taipei on Sunday. (CNA photo)
The Ministry of Labor issued a response to the protest on Sunday and said it continues to encourage employers to directly hire migrant workers. The ministry outlined a number of measures that have been put in place to improve the situation, though the ministry will continue to handle abuses on a case-by-case basis.
The ministry also said it will strengthen its inspection process for recruitment agencies. It also plans to improve bilingual services for interpretation of forms and procedures.
Also on Sunday, the Ministry of Labor issued a separate press release that said incidences of unaccounted for migrant workers were decreasing and stabilizing with 84,000 unaccounted for in October. Migrant worker union groups have attributed the high rate of missing migrant workers to systematic problems with hiring practices, among other things.
