Taiwan to require larger sleeping space for migrant workers

Taipei, July 3 (CNA) Taiwan will adopt an International Labor Organization (ILO) standard next year that requires sleeping areas for migrant workers to provide at least 3.6 square meters of floor space per person, the Ministry of Labor (MOL) said Friday.

At present, a minimum 3.2 square meters per person is required for areas where workers sleep, meaning the revised rule will be a slight improvement compared to existing practices, the ministry said.

The new requirement, which only applies to industrial workers, has already been included in the Guidelines for Foreign Worker's Care Service Plan and announced, the MOL said, giving employers sufficient time to make the improvements before Jan. 1, 2021.

Those failing to make improvements after an initial warning will be subject to fines of between NT$60,000 (US$2,034) and NT$300,000, it said.

Based on MOL statistics, there are currently some 700,000 migrant workers in Taiwan, of which 440,000 of them are in the manufacturing sector.

According to the website of the ILO, a United Nations agency, the floor area of workers' sleeping rooms should not be less than 7.5 square meters in rooms accommodating two persons and at least 3.6 square meters per person in a room housing more than four people.