The report calls attention to the situation in which 333,000 legal migrant workers live in Taiwan currently. It shows that they suffer wage discrimination, a fact that obliges them to work long overtime hours in order to earn a reasonable salary.
The new ICFTU report shows that migrant workers are excluded from the new workers' pension system introduced in 2005 and that they cannot take leadership positions in unions, leaving them, consequently, more vulnerable to exploitation as a result.
Migrant workers are very often depicted in the media as dangerous or criminal; the government of Taiwan has even exacerbated the problem through statements such as saying they would impose penalties on employers giving jobs to migrant workers to "prevent the spread of disease" or to "keep the order and safety of the society".
Finally, the problem of child exploitation and labour trafficking involving young women from Southeast Asian countries, such as China or Thailand is also covered in the report.
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
marketing@alchempro.com
