Migrant worker groups demand action on brokers withholding documents

Taipei, Dec. 15 (CNA) Groups representing migrant workers on Sunday called on Taiwan's government to take action against labor brokers who illegally retain workers' employment and transfer permits.

The groups, led by the Taoyuan-based Domestic Caretaker Union and the Taiwan International Workers Association, made their demands outside the Ministry of Labor (MOL) in Taipei.

The protesters said work and transfer permits are migrant workers' "most important documents" in Taiwan, as they offer proof of their eligibility for employment and determine how long their Alien Resident Certificates (ARCs) and social benefits will be valid.

Despite this, private employment brokers often withhold such documents from workers on the pretense of "safeguarding" them, and even demand that workers or their new employers pay them"hiring fees" or "document fees," the groups said.

The protesters called on the labor ministry to increase penalties for brokers or employers who withhold such documents, and to ensure that workers are in possession of their own work permits, passports and ARCs both when they enter the country and during worksite inspections.

In response, Lee Hui-fen (李慧芬), an official in the Cross-Border Workforce Management Division at the MOL's Workforce Development Agency, said that withholding a migrant worker's employment or identity documents without their permission is punishable by a fine of NT$60,000 to NT$300,000 (US$1,844-US$9,218) under the Employment Service Act.

Brokers who attempt to collect hiring or document fees from migrant workers may even have their licenses revoked, Lee said.

The MOL has received over 2,000 complaints this year about withheld employment documents, of which it has managed to get around 2,800 documents returned, while 58 cases remain under investigation, Lee said.

Regarding the issue of illegal fees, Lee said the ministry is also currently conducting inspections on 175 labor brokerage firms and arranging meetings with 550 employers and their workers.