The report was released just after a protest against increased work hours for fishermen.
The News Lens
Date: 2019/03/15
By: Nick Aspinwall
Credit: Reuters / TPG
Taiwan’s foreign workers remain vulnerable to “exploitation” and “significant debt burdens” and its Ministry of Labor has decreased its inspections of employers, according to a human rights reportreleased on Wednesday by the U.S. State Department.
The 2018 U.S. Country Report on Human Rights Practices for Taiwan also flags the “mistreatment and poor working conditions for foreign fishermen,” noting several high-profile reports and cases in 2018 which drew attention to a culture of abuse on Taiwan’s high seas fishing vessels.
Wednesday’s report was released on the same day migrant workers and labor rights advocates slammed a Ministry of Labor plan to exempt migrant fishermen from standardized work hour and overtime limits, citing flexibility for employers.
The report noted severe issues in work conditions for Taiwan’s migrant workers, of whom up to 700,000 come from Southeast Asian countries, according to Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency (NIA). Workers were burdened by “excessive brokerage fees, guarantee deposits, and higher charges for flights and accommodations” during the recruitment process, the report said. [FULL STORY]
