August 20, 2001

STATEMENT

A JOINT STATEMENT AGAINST ACCOMMODATION FEE DEDUCTION

ISSUED BY

CATHOLIC MIGRANT ADVOCATES, TAIWAN

Since 1992, Taiwan has relied heavily on foreign labor to maintain its competitiveness in the international market and to achieve greater economic progress. The foreign workers have reached, in recent months the staggering number of 330,000, in spite of President Chen Shui-Bian's promise during the election campaign to reduce the number 15,000 per year.

While we cannot deny that these foreign workers and their families have benefited from their employment in Taiwan. But at the same time, we have to admit that these benefits were dearly paid for by the migrant workers in the form of high placement fees, illegal deductions from their salary, physical abuse and exploitation and sexual harassment.

During this time of recession, the government, following capitalistic principles of minimizing the cost to achieve maximum profit, has unilaterally decided to allow the employers to deduct board and lodging costs of between NT$2,500 to NT$4,000 per month from the migrant workers minimum wage (local workers, unions and NGOs were not consulted in this issue). It results in a drop from NT$30,000 to NT$48,000 in the migrant workers yearly salary.

Taiwan Government often justifies the deduction policy by arguing that the minimum wage of the migrant workers in Taiwan is much higher than that paid both in Hong Kong and Singapore. Such is not the case:

Hong Kong salary - HK$3,670 x NT$4.44 = NT$16,295

Singapore salary - MORE THAN SIN$800= MORE THAN NT$27,792

Taiwan salary - NT$15,840

Aside from these, workers in both Hong Kong and Singapore DO enjoy a social welfare unmistakably unmatchable by Taiwan, such as low placement fee, easy employer-transfer process, freedom in food and accommodation choice, etc. Unless Taiwan government can provide the migrants with the same level of social welfare given by the other Asian countries, its minimum wage slashing move is nothing but a foul play!

President Chen Shui-Bian in his inaugural address proclaimed that human rights would be a priority in his government. There were new hopes for local and migrant workers when Miss Chen Chu was appointed chairperson of the Council of Labor Affairs as she herself had experienced human/ labor rights abuses. But now we feel betrayed as labor and human rights of the migrant workers are once again sacrificed in the interest of capital and employers. Human rights have been constantly emphasized by the DPP. Yet, one will never recognize the importance of human rights if he looks at the present situation of the migrant workers in Taiwan. We, the Catholic migrant advocates in Taiwan strongly oppose against the scramble of this new deduction proposal. We therefore:

Urge foreign and local workers to set aside differences and join hands together to fight this new exploitative government decision!

Appeal to the government of the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam to take a common stand against this decision that will be detrimental to their citizens and work force!

Invite democratic countries, the ILO and international NGOs to express their disagreement to the Taiwan Government for the blatant violation of basic human and labor rights of workers!

We say NO to:

CHEAP LABOR IN TAIWAN!

UNREASONABLE BROKER'S FEE!

DEDUCTION OF BOARD AND LODGING FROM THE MINIMUM WAGE OF FOREIGN WORKERS!

VIOLATION AGAINST HUMAN AND LABOR RIGHTS OF FOREIGN WORKERS!

THIS POLITICAL DECISION THAT WILL BENEFIT ONLY THE EMPLOYERS AND WILL BRING MORE UNEMPLOYMENT AND HARDSHIP TO LOCAL WORKERS!

CATHOLIC MIGRANT ADVOCATES, TAIWAN

HOPE WORKERS' CENTER

RERUM NOVARUM CENTER

ST. CHRISTOPHER'S CHURCH

HSIN CHU MIGRANTS' CONCERNS DESK

MIGRANT WORKERS' CONCERN DESK

STELLA MARIS INTERNATIONAL SERVICE CENTER

MISSIONARY SOCIETY OF ST. COLUMBAN JPIC OFFICE

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