BALANCING ACT: The groups called for legislation to protect the rights of foreign domestic workers without negatively affecting the quality of the care they provide

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 01, 2019
By: Lee I-chia  /  Staff reporter

The Taiwan International Worker-Employment Relationship Harmony Development Association

yesterday called for a special law on foreign domestic workers to protect their rights and those of their employers.

Members of the association and the Association of Spinal Cord Injury Taipei, as well as 10 people in wheelchairs, rallied at Taipei’s 228 Peace Memorial Park (228和平紀念公園) calling for the right to receive better care services and to be treated with respect and dignity.

Citing a case of a foreign domestic worker unexpectedly giving birth in her shocked employer’s home, Taiwan International Worker-Employment Relationship Harmony Development Association honorary adviser Chien Li-chen (簡莉珍) said that at-home caregivers often need to perform physically demanding work, which can be difficult if they are pregnant.

After asking a caregiver to demonstrate how she would help lift a man surnamed Lai (賴) — who has a damaged spine, is 1.87m tall and weighs 85kg — from his wheelchair, Chien said that the strenuous task is performed more than six times per day and would be difficult for a pregnant caregiver.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 29 November, 2019
By: John Van Trieste

President Tsai Ing-wen has called on Taiwan’s police force to safeguard the 2020 election.

At an event held by the National Police Agency Friday, Tsai said that police officers on the ground must do all they can to ensure that the election is fair. She said they must protect candidates from all parties, keep the public safe, and put an end to bribery, betting, and fake news.
[FULL  STORY]

A bookstore in New Taipei City is creating a community for Southeast Asian migrant workers in Taiwan and encouraging local Taiwanese to learn about Southeast Asian cultures.

The News Lens
Date: 2019/11/29
By: Randy Mulyanto

Yun-chan Liao remembers it was about 10 years ago when she first heard Southeast Asians in Taiwan saying that Taiwanese people treat cats and dogs well, but they weren’t so nice to migrant workers.

Her husband Chang Cheng agrees. “You know, we’re journalists. We think this issue is about justice,” Chang says.

“For us, it’s a new issue. Before we began to study this, we didn’t know too much Southeast Asian culture.”

Hundreds of thousands of Southeast Asian migrant workers, mainly from Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, travel to seek out jobs in Taiwan. According to Taiwan’s Ministry of Labor statistics, there were more than 700,000 foreign workers in productive industries in October 2019 (274,970 from Indonesia, 224,367 from Vietnam, 157,030 from the Philippines, 59,756 from Thailand).
[FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/11/30
By:  Central News Agency\

Robot vacuums operating in enclosed spaces can increase the level of harmful airborne particles by a

factor of six, according to study results released on Thursday.

The air quality risks caused by robot vacuums, while noteworthy, were nevertheless lower than those caused by traditional hand-operated vacuums, said Lin Yu-wen (林瑜雯), an associate professor in Fu Jen University's Department of Public Health, at a press conference held by the Taiwan Society of Indoor Environmental Quality and the Chan-yang Wang Trust.

The study found that hand-operated vacuums caused airborne particle levels to rise to 13 times their base level, while robot vacuums caused a corresponding sixfold rise after 10 minutes' use.

For both types of vacuum, only after 90 minutes did the levels of pollutants return to normal, Lin said.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/11/29
By: Chen Wei-ting and Matthew Mazzetta

Taipei, Nov. 29 (CNA) The number of new HIV cases in Taiwan has dropped for a second consecutive year to 1,599, a year-to-date figure that could end up being the lowest in a decade, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Friday.

It would be the lowest since the 1,641 cases recorded in 2009 and well below the record-high of 3,377 cases in 2005, CDC statistics showed.

As of Nov. 26, the total number of people living in Taiwan with HIV/AIDS was 39,514.

In an interview with CNA, CDC Deputy Director General Lo Yi-chun (羅一鈞) attributed the decrease to preventative measures, such as promoting safe sex and treatments that reduce the risk of transmission, as well as increased access to confidential and convenient medical screening.
[FULL  STORY]

SECOND READING: At a news conference, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus members unveiled their own bill, to prevent the annexation of the Republic of China

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 30, 2019
By: Sean Lin  /  Staff reporter

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus’ version of an anti-infiltration bill yesterday

advanced to a second reading and discussion in additional cross-caucus negotiations.

Prior to yesterday’s legislative meeting, DPP caucus members were guarding the speaker’s podium to ensure that the caucus filed motions first.

The caucus sponsored a motion to advance the bill to a second reading, which was not met with any objections, as no Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators were present.

DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) then filed a motion to have the anti-infiltration bill returned to the legislature’s Procedure Committee for reconsideration — a practice frequently used by the caucus whip of the ruling party during the review of a major bill so that the caucus’ resolve to pass the bill can be reaffirmed.    [FULL  STORY]

Eye On Taiwan will be closed Thanksgiving day November 28th.  Being an American company we will celebrate Thanksgiving day.

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 27 November, 2019
By: Paula Chao

Chinese defector Wang Liqiang says he was a spy and helped China manipulate Taiwan’s elections. Find out how his case has rocked Taiwan and how China is responding!    [FULL  STORY]

Malay Mail
Date: 27 Nov 2019
By: Sylvia Lool

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 27 ― Busty Taiwanese actress Ili Zheng Jiazhen is known for her 34D “assets”

which earned her praise from social media for baring it all in a recently published calendar.

In a recent interview with Taiwanese media, the One Night in Taipei star spoke about her love life that raised eyebrows when she revealed that despite being single, she has a partner whom she sees twice monthly for her “needs”.

Asked by the media the purpose of having a partner, the 26-year-old replied: “Whenever I have sexual needs, the opposite party can help me. It is normal for adults to have this life.

“But this year, I only meet him for meals as I am too busy.”

Zheng, nicknamed “Chicken Chop Girl” following a publicity film in 2012 however said she does not plan to get married as she is happy being single according to Sin Chew Daily.   [FULL  STORY]