Easing of migrant domestic worker rules draws mixed views

Taipei, March 19 (CNA) Taiwan's easing of rules on hiring migrant domestic workers has drawn mixed reactions, with employers and brokers welcoming the move as better suited to caregiving needs, while labor and childcare advocates raise concerns over worker protections.

Minister without Portfolio Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said Wednesday that the government has decided to relax current rules, allowing families with at least one child under the age of 12 to apply to hire migrant domestic workers starting April 13 under a new policy aimed at easing childcare burdens.

The Executive Yuan approved the measure on Thursday morning.

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Employer, broker groups welcome easing

Heidi Chang (張姮燕), president of the International Association of Family and Employers with Disabilities, an employers' group, called the move "a long-awaited policy."

She told CNA in a phone interview on Wednesday that easing eligibility is a positive response to Taiwan's low birth rate and care labor shortage, which have made some families hesitant to have children.

Lu Hsi-an (呂錫安), chairman of the Tainan Employment Service Institute Association, a brokers' group, said he welcomed the easing as it would meet the practical needs of some families, while criticizing the current rules as too strict.

Health Minister Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) also defended the move on Thursday, saying some women sacrifice career development to raise children, and that giving families another option could help ease childcare burdens and raise the birth rate.

Labor, childcare groups raise concerns

Offering an opposing view, Wang Chao-ching (王兆慶), convener of the Childcare Policy Alliance, said the relaxation "will not help address the low birth rate."

In a phone interview with CNA on Wednesday, he said Hong Kong "has no restrictions at all" on hiring migrant domestic workers, but its fertility rate is similar to Taiwan's, at around 0.8, showing that looser access to such workers does not necessarily translate into higher birth rates.

He also cited a survey conducted by the alliance last year, saying it found that access to migrant domestic workers would do little to boost employment of women in Taiwan.

Yang Shu-wei (楊書瑋), secretary-general of the Taiwan Labour Front, said easing eligibility could undermine the job stability of around 25,000 childcare workers in Taiwan, including babysitters and preschool staff.

Yang also described the measure as rendering migrant domestic workers "low-paid workers with long hours."

Migrant domestic workers are not covered by the Labor Standards Act, receive wages far below the minimum wage, and lack full rest protections, he said, adding that their monthly pay often falls short of NT$30,000 (US$938.40) even when no days off are taken.