Unions, employers oppose plan to let hospitals hire foreign care workers

Taipei, Jan. 14 (CNA) Medical workers unions and a live-in caregiver employer group have expressed opposition to a government plan to let hospitals hire foreign care workers, warning it could increase frontline burdens and force hospitals and some families to compete for the same labor pool.

Proposed by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW), the plan would allow hospitals to hire intermediate skilled foreign workers as care workers to help inpatients with acute conditions with daily care needs, easing the workload of nursing staff, according to Health Minister Shih Chung-liang (石崇良).

In a joint statement issued on Tuesday, the Taiwan Nurses Union and the Taiwan Federation of Medical Unions said they "firmly oppose" the recruitment of foreign workers while the system and support measures remain unclear, warning it would "leave frontline staff to shoulder the risks and resulting confusion."

Some of the concerns raised by the unions include the language barrier, management and supervision, how duties and professional boundaries between foreign care workers and domestic nurses will be defined, and how dispute and complaint mechanisms operate.

Also opposing the proposal, the International Association of Family and Employers with Disabilities (IAFED), an NGO formed by employers of foreign caregivers, said Wednesday that existing foreign live-in caregivers and the foreign care workers hospitals would hire under the plan would "very likely come from the same labor pool."

Once hospitals are allowed to recruit, it said, medical institutions with regular hours, team support and institutional benefits could draw "seasoned caregivers" from private homes who are familiar with care routines and have already overcome language barriers.

"This would not increase the overall workforce, but instead pull caregivers away from the most vulnerable households caring for severely ill or disabled people who have no alternatives," the association added.

MOHW response

During an event on Wednesday morning, Shih responded to concerns raised by the two medical workers unions by saying the MOHW is targeting intermediate skilled foreign workers who have worked in Taiwan for more than six years, can communicate in Mandarin and have received care worker training.

Shih said the ministry began a pilot program three years ago under which hospitals centrally hire and train care workers, adding that the public response has been "very good" and the system allows nurses to focus on professional duties.

Under the program, families pay about NT$750 (US$23.74) to NT$1,000 per day for care workers to help with daily care, reducing the need for relatives to stay at bedsides all day or hire private caregivers at higher cost, the health minister said.

In response to IAFED's concerns, the MOHW said it had no specific comment on the association's criticism at this stage, as the proposal remains under discussion and feedback is still being solicited.

Meanwhile, Labor Minister Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) said Tuesday while the MOHW has submitted a proposal to revise relevant regulations, the health ministry should first consult with relevant groups for a more comprehensive assessment.

He said there is currently no timetable for his ministry to review the proposal.