TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Indonesian caregivers protested outside the Ministry of Labor in Taipei on Sunday.
The protest was organized by Serikat Buruh Industri Perawatan Taiwan (SBIPT), a union of Indonesian caregivers working in nursing homes and private homes. They called for the government to remove the limit on the number of years a migrant worker can remain in Taiwan, reported CNA.
They also called to abolish the system of using intermediaries, known as brokers, as hiring agents. SBIPT says current regulations are exploitative and discriminatory.
Under the Employment Services Act, migrant caregivers can typically only work in the role for 12 years. While there is a provision to extend the period to 14 years, SBIPT says that imposing any limit is unfair and that requests for extension can be arbitrarily denied.
The Taiwan International Workers Association (TIWA) reported that migrant caregivers in Taiwan have already reached 820,000. Protesters argue that migrants are an indispensable part of the labor force for many of Taiwan’s critical industries, and should be treated with more respect under the law.
Migrant workers in Taiwan have protested the brokerage system for many years. Activist groups say that private staffing agencies routinely take advantage of foreign workers who have little or no leverage when negotiating employment contracts.
Brokers routinely charge inordinately high fees for workers who want to change employers or adjust their work contracts to improve their living conditions. Some brokers also keep workers' passports and important documents, which can be leveraged to keep a worker in an unfair arrangement.
SBIPT and TIWA call on the Ministry of Labor to get rid of broker agencies in favor of a public hiring system to connect migrant workers directly with private employers.
MOL issued a statement in response, welcoming protestors to share their views so that the government can better protect the rights and livelihood of migrants in Taiwan. The ministry said it is making efforts to help migrant workers to connect with employers directly through its Direct Hiring Service Center which was launched in July 2024.
The MOL argues the limit on working years is intended to encourage migrants to switch to higher-skilled jobs to further enhance Taiwan’s labor force. Removing the limit on years one can work as a private caregiver or laborer will reduce that incentive.
