Hundreds of migrant domestic workers (PRT) staged a demonstration in Taipei on Sunday (2/5) calling for better protection of their rights and welfare ahead of Mother’s Day which will be observed in the second week of May, Monday. (3/5/2021).
Reporting from Focus Taiwan, the migrant domestic workers who carried out the action, most of them mothers from Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam, who claimed legal protection was what they wanted as a gift to commemorate Mother’s Day which falls on 9 May.
“We are not robots!” “We need a break!” “Domestic work is work and deserves legal protection!” shouted the participants of the mass action that took place in front of the Cabinet building, Taiwan.
Gracie Liu (劉曉), spokeswoman for the Migrants Empowerment Network in Taiwan (MENT), said migrant domestic workers in Taiwan have no legal protection, as they are not covered by the country’s Labor Standards Act.
“The enactment of the protection law for the household sector will be the best gift for 250,000 migrant workers in Taiwan for Mother’s Day, especially for those who are mothers,” Liu said.
In 2004, the MENT had submitted a proposal for a bill called the Household Services Act, which seeks to include all domestic workers in Taiwan’s labor insurance system, set standards for their wages, allow compensation for work-related injuries, and provide accommodation such as rooms, and mandatory rest periods. Liu said the bill was kept by the Legislature, and so far there was no review for it to follow.
According to MENT, the average migrant domestic worker works 10.4 hours a day, earning NT$17,000 (US$600) per month, well below Taiwan’s minimum monthly wage of NT$24,000.
Citing a report released by the Ministry of Manpower in 2020, MENT said 34.4 percent of migrant domestic workers in Taiwan were not allowed by their employers to take leave.
One migrant domestic worker from Indonesia, who asked to be called Feni, said it was a tough job, but sometimes it was not considered worthy of proper pay.
“Some Taiwanese say migrant workers are greedy, but those who care for the sick and elderly know that it is not an easy task,” said Feni, who has worked in Taiwan for 10 years.
Meanwhile, Aileen dela Cruz, director of the Housekeepers’ Union, said Taiwan’s policymakers and legislative bodies should recognize that domestic workers are entitled to the rights and dignity associated with such work.
At the rally, Kang Yang (楊剛), representative of Taiwan-based human rights group Covenants Watch, said the government should ensure that all migrant workers have the same protection as other workers, under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Human Rights. Culture, which Taiwan ratified in 2009.
Other human rights groups that participated in the mass action on Sunday May 2 included the Taiwan International Workers’ Association, Caritas Taiwan, Awakening Foundation, and the Taiwan Human Rights Association.
Responding to the demands of the migrant workers, the Ministry of Manpower issued a press release stating that the proposed Household Services Law remains a challenge because it is difficult to determine the working hours and duties of domestic workers.
However, the government claims to have taken steps to better protect the rights and welfare of migrant domestic workers. For example, all migrant domestic workers have been included in the Work Accident Protection and Security Act which was recently passed by the government.
According to the ministry spokesman, the duties and working conditions, Taiwanese employers and migrant workers must comply with the terms of their employment contracts, in accordance with the Employment Services Act.
