Indian migrant workers to be introduced on 'small scale': Labor minister

Taipei, March 6 (CNA) The introduction of Indian migrant workers to Taiwan will initially be undertaken on a "small scale" and on a trial basis, after a bilateral worker agreement is approved by the Executive Yuan and confirmed by the Legislature, Minister of Labor Hsu Ming-chun (許銘春) said on Wednesday.

As the two sides exchanged letters on the matter Feb. 26 based on a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed earlier in the month, the ministry needs to get approval from the Executive Yuan and notify the Legislative Yuan within 30 days as required by law, Hsu told reporters before a hearing at the legislative Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee.

Once the process has been completed, bilateral working-level meetings will be held to discuss a wide range of issues, including quotas of Indian workers, language ability, source regions and candidates' occupational background, Hsu said, although no timetable has been set.

"All of those who meet related work requirements are welcome," she added.

Feb. 16: Taiwan, India sign MOU on migrant workers

The plan to introduce Indian migrant workers triggered a widespread backlash in Taiwan due to the ministry's opaque attitude on the issue, which was strongly criticized by lawmakers at the hearing.

Opposition Kuomintang (KMT) lawmaker Wang Yu-min (王育敏) slammed the ministry for being non-transparent, incautious and uncommunicative.

"The ministry said in public on Feb. 15 it was still assessing the date on which an MOU would be signed, but the two countries inked the document online the very next day," Wang said, asking whether the earlier statement was "a lie."

No one is opposed to the idea of bringing in migrant workers from new source countries, but the process must be transparent, Wang said, demanding Hsu explain why no public hearings have been held to address public concerns over the issue.

Wang and her KMT colleague Tu Chuan-chi (涂權吉) each proposed a motion requiring the Ministry of Labor hold seminars or produce a report on the potential impact of Indian migrant workers on the local employment market.

In response, Tsai Meng-liang (蔡孟良), head of the ministry's Workforce Development Agency, promised to do so with all parties concerned and submit a report to the committee for review.

Bloomberg first reported the India-Taiwan employment agreement in November last year, claiming that as many as 100,000 Indians could be employed in Taiwan.

The labor ministry called the report "fake news," with Hsu saying the figure of 100,000 workers was "inaccurate" and talks were ongoing.

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