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Labour groups urge action against brokers
Groups representing migrant workers are urging the government to take action against labour brokers who illegally retain workers' employment and transfer permits.
The groups are led by the Taoyuan-based Domestic Caretaker Union and the Taiwan International Workers Association. They rallied outside the Ministry of Labor in Taipei on Sunday.
Both groups say work and transfer permits are migrant workers' "most important documents" - as they offer proof of their eligibility for employment and determine how long their Alien Resident Certificates and social benefits will be valid.
However, private employment brokers often withhold such documents from workers on the pretence of "safeguarding" them, and even demand that workers or their new employers pay them "hiring fees" or "document fees."
The migrant workers groups say the labour ministry should increase penalties for brokers or employers who withhold such documents and ensure that workers are in possession of their own work permits, passports and A-R-Cs both when they enter the country and during worksite inspections.
