News came out early this week of a dried tofu factory that had held two migrant workers for 14 years...
Kaohsiung police raided a dried tofu factory and rescued four migrant workers who had been locked inside on the second floor of the factory for up to 14 years and forced to work 15 hours every day.The factory was fined a massive $1.2 million NT, or about $40,000, for stealing nearly 30 years from two people. Outrageous. Nobody is going to do any jail time despite the gross violation of the law. The government vowed to step up inspections. Yeah, right.
If only we hadn't heard this tune before. 35 Indonesian women forced into factory and maid work via false marriages in 2007. 35 Filipinas forced into the sex trade in 2014. 2010 Filipino workers in a glass factory complain of abuse. State Department reports in 2008. There are just so many... last year an extensive report on the rampant slavery in Taiwan's fishing fleet. BBC in 2014 on same topic. Every year brings the same stories of exploited foreign workers.
But these are just extremes, produced by a brutal work environment with long hours, low salaries, and indifferent government enforcement of the labor laws. Taiwan News reported a while back...
Taiwan has long been criticized for its government's loose management of work hours and a prolonged period of low wage growth. Many employers were found to have failed to comply with all of the work hour regulations, including forcing laborers to work unpaid overtime. Attorney Chen You-xin of the Via Justice Law Office was quoted in the Apple Daily earlier as saying that many local workers in Taiwan either voluntarily or are forced to forgo their annual leave entitlements due to heavy workloads without any financial compensation.Taiwanese even work longer hours than Japan...
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As long as these company who abuse the employees keep on making money, this problem will never end.
ReplyDelete14 years? You been had by the Taiwan media again. This is not true. She was allowed to go out all the time and she did. You only read the news you want to read so go along with your hatred of Taiwan. In fact, she was not kept inside for 14 years. Do some research first. one newspaper says one thing, the TT and another newspaper says another thing CPost. best to find out the truth first. No? 14 years? come on, get with it. that is an impossible figure. 14 years kept inside? read the China Post article also it's on goggles somewhere. call me UK Bob,
ReplyDelete"Outrageous" is friggin right. Foreign citizens under Taiwanese law are apparently worth less than stray dogs. WTF?
ReplyDeleteYou only read the news you want to read so go along with your hatred of Taiwan. In fact, she was not kept inside for 14 years.
ReplyDeletehahahaha