MOL issues work-related injury insurance notice for migrant caregivers

Taipei, Nov. 23 (CNA) The employers of about 150,000 live-in migrant caregivers in Taiwan are required to pay the quarterly compulsory work-related injury insurance premium on their behalf, the Ministry of Labor (MOL) said Tuesday as it prepared to send out the latest premium payment notifications.

Chen Wen-tsung (陳文宗), deputy head of the MOL's Department of Labor Insurance, said that under the Occupational Accident Insurance and Protection Act, which took effect on May 1, migrant caregivers are covered by the Occupational Accident Insurance against work-related injuries, and the premium must be paid in full by their employers.

As of August, there were 151,628 live-in migrant caregivers in Taiwan, he said.

The premium for live-in caregivers' Occupational Accident Insurance is calculated based on the minimum monthly wage of NT$25,250 (US$816) under the Labor Standards Act, even though their minimum monthly wage is set at NT$20,000 and they are not covered by the provisions of the Act, according to the MOL.

As a result, the quarterly insurance premium for live-in migrant caregivers is about NT$135, Chen said.

Employers who fail to pay the premium will be charged a late fee which starts at 0.2 percent of the premium, but increases by increments of 0.2 percent daily until it reaches 20 percent of the premium, he said.

Under the Occupational Accident Insurance and Protection Act, the Bureau of Labor Insurance is required to first pay compensation to migrant workers proved to have sustained injuries at work, then seek reimbursement from employers who do not pay the premium, the MOL said.