The Ministry of Labor declined to sit down with protesters because Sunday was their day off.

The News Lens
Date: 2018/06/11
By: James X. Morris

Southeast Asian domestic caregivers protested in front of Taiwan’s Ministry of Labor (MoL) in Taipei Sunday to highlight the failure of officials to protect their contract rights, and demand the Labor Standards Act (LSA) be extended to include their profession.

Protest leaders had expected a sit-down meeting with ministry officials, but said they were forced to make do with a street-level visit after the MoL suggested Friday that they would be unable to meet on Sunday because it is a day off, an irony that did not escape those assembled at the ministry gates.

The event, promoted as the “Campaign for DAY OFF-National Domestic Worker’s Day” (國際家務勞動者日陳情行動), was hosted by the Taoyuan-based Domestic Caretakers Union (DCU) alongside other unions representing the interests of migrant workers providing domestic care.

The protesters complained they are overworked, underpaid, and exploited by an unfair one-sided application of existing laws, particularly the failure of employers to allow them the one day off every week to which many of their contracts stipulate they are entitled.    [FULL  STORY]