KMT demands premier brief lawmakers on Indian worker recruitment

Taipei, April 17 (CNA) Taiwan's main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) on Friday demanded that Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) brief the Legislature on the potential impact on social security and labor conditions of a government plan to recruit Indian workers.

Labor Minister Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) said earlier this month that Taipei and New Delhi were finalizing the details on administrative procedures, document verification and health check-ups to recruit an initial 1,000 Indians to work in Taiwan's manufacturing, agricultural, and caregiving sectors.

The Indian workers could be recruited "as early as this year," Hung said.

The KMT caucus tabled a motion ahead of Friday's plenary legislative session, demanding that Cho and ministers of the competent authorities brief the Legislature on the potential impact on social security and labor policies, and respond to lawmakers' questions.

According to the motion, the government's aim to recruit Indian workers in the near future has stoked widespread fears of the "deterioration of gender equality and social security."

The motion noted that an ongoing petition calling for a halt to the recruitment of Indian workers has gathered more than 35,000 signatures on the government's Public Policy Online Participation Network Platform.

Furthermore, 93,000 migrant workers are currently absent without leave from their jobs in Taiwan, highlighting the government's "crumbling" migrant worker management system, the motion states.

The caucus demanded that the Executive Yuan explain its motives for recruiting Indian migrant workers and the industry's demand for them.

It also asked the Cabinet to halt its plan to add another country to Taiwan's list of migrant worker providers until the problem of absconding migrant workers is solved.

Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) ruled that the motion would be sent to a second reading according to the consensus reached between the KMT, the Taiwan People's Party, and the Democratic Progressive Party caucuses.

The KMT is to convene a round of cross-caucus talks before the motion can advance further, Han added.

KMT caucus convener Fu Kun-chi (傅崐萁) told reporters in the Legislature that the government must have accompanying measures for a new batch of foreign workers from a starkly different cultural background, to ensure social security and stability.

"In India, women are not treated with dignity," Fu said. "To protect women in Taiwan, the government must let the people know whether it's ready for the influx of advancing Indian migrant workers and the ensuing social security concerns."