Taiwan's manufacturing industry could be the first to recruit Indian workers

Taipei, May 2 (CNA) Most of the participants in a Ministry of Labor meeting discussing the recruitment of Indian migrant workers to alleviate Taiwan's labor shortage have agreed that the manufacturing sector should be the first industry to start recruiting.

During Thursday's meeting, migrant worker groups, employer representatives, labor brokers association, as well as scholars and experts from Taiwan and India convened to discuss industries suitable for recruitment, the number of migrant workers to be recruited, and the recruitment methods for a small-scale trial.

Earlier in February, Taiwan and India signed a memorandum of understanding to bring in Indian migrant workers as Taiwan is facing a shortage of labor in areas such as manufacturing, construction, agriculture, and more.

According to Su Yu-kuo (蘇裕國), head of the Workforce Development Agency's Cross-Border Workforce Affairs Center, a consensus was reached for the manufacturing industry to be the first to recruit Indian workers.

He added that suggestions were also made to let Taiwanese businesses with factories or operation sites in India be the first businesses in the manufacturing industry to recruit Indian workers.

Regarding the number of migrant workers to be recruited, Su said most participants thought it would be better to decide this at a later stage, as it was more important to first identify the industries that will be recruiting.

Su said migrant worker groups suggested using direct recruitment, without going through brokers, to reduce controversies and disputes. Brokers in Taiwan and migrants' countries have been known to charge high fees which put the workers in debt for at least their first year of employment.

At the same time, scholars, experts, and employer groups all advocated for a dual approach involving both direct hiring and brokerage systems. They proposed the careful selection of brokerage firms to avoid problems such as migrant workers being charged hefty job placement fees and monthly service fees.

Su added that Indian scholars suggested in the meeting that there should be further discussions with the Indian government to work out details for direct recruitment, should it become the main way of bringing in Indian migrant workers, Su said.

Su said further meetings will be held to address additional issues related to the recruitment of Indian migrant workers. Following these discussions, opinions and suggestions will be conveyed to the Indian government, he said.