Taiwan Legislative Yuan approved the third reading of amendments to the Employment Service Act, by which employers or employment agencies could be subject to a fine of up to NT$300,000 (US$9,741) for violating migrant workers’ rights
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wu Yu-chin, the amendments proposed, said that under the amendments, brokers cannot detain the migrants’ identity documents or work permits against the will of employers and workers; violators would be fined between NT$60,000 and NT$300,000.
We pointed out that according to the new rules, employment agencies would also face a fine from NT$300,000 to NT$1.5 million if they are involved in sexual assault, human trafficking, restriction of personal freedom, grievous bodily harm or homicide and they have to report any case of the mentioned felonies perpetrated against migrant workers within 24 hours.
She added that brokers who contravene the amendments could lose their operating permit and could not reapply for it in five years.
Wu said the amendments echo the New Southbound Policy under the government of President Tsai Ing-wen and are a new human rights milestone since the 2016 amendments to the Employment Service Act, which abolished the rule that migrant workers should leave Taiwan every three years.
The government needs to fundamentally improve labor relations and the mutual trust between migrant workers, employers, and employment agencies.
