Unacceptable: No Protection, No Enforcement, No Rest

Even machine still gets tired

“Toi muon co ngay nghi!” I want a day of rest! Signs in the hands of Vietnamese migrant workers voiced this basic human right as they protested outside the Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) Thursday, November 19, 2009. Over 80 protesters from local NGOs united in an effort by the Migrants’ Empowerment Network Taiwan (MENT) to push the CLA to enforce labor laws protecting domestic workers’ rights.

Currently, over 160,000 domestic workers are being denied the right to a day of rest. Taiwanese employers force these foreign employees to work continuously without breaks. Though inhumane and illegal, workers are not permitted any respite. Even when exhausted, workers are compelled to continue working every day of the week, their well-being, health, and mental state-of-mind trampled upon with any protection from the Taiwanese government. It is the responsibility of the government to enforce current labor laws and hold employers accountable for their actions.

Vietnamese domestic workers participated the protest

Protesters spoke out about these deplorable work conditions, lifting signs such as “We are not slaves” in Vietnamese, Indonesian, Tagalog, Thai and Chinese. Clearly, the CLA’s inaction is affecting all foreign workers in Taiwan, and thus, an international concern. A few protesters shared their experiences for all to hear, confirming that, indeed, they had been treated as slaves. Their testimonials were evidence of CLA’s injustice and inaction.

The large crowd admonished the CLA’s efforts to protect caregivers and their basic human right. A banner made two years ago by workers was sent through CLA’s front doors to remind the government of the rights promised them two years prior, rights still unseen and unprotected.

As an American, I trust in my government to protect my labor rights, especially when they have been denied. I find the CLA’s reluctant attitude toward foreign workers morally repugnant. If Taiwan wants to be respected as a country that values human rights and fair treatment of all persons, the government will need to earn it by making immediate, critical changes in its enforcement policies. Domestic work is work; domestic workers are not slaves. They deserve their day of rest.

Members of Migrants Empowerment Network in Taiwan (MENT)united fight for domestic workers’ human rights

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