Draft plan for new migrant workers in Taiwan that will provide "one-stop service"

The Ministry of Labor (MOL) on Tuesday said it is drafting a plan to provide newly arrived migrant workers in Taiwan with a "one-stop" service that will include pre-employment training lectures and all necessary documentation over a three day period.

Paul Su, deputy head of the Workforce Development Agency's Cross-Border Workforce Management Division under the MOL, said the service the ministry is planning will include workers' meals and accommodation for the first three days after they arrive in Taiwan.

Under the current regulations, migrant workers are required to receive only a 30-minute pre-employment lecture from the relevant authorities on arrival at the airport, Su said.

After the brief lecture they were transported to dormitories arranged by their employers to wait for the necessary documentation, including employment permit, health insurance and residency cards that often took days to process.

To improve the service, the MOL is planning to extend the pre-employment training to three days in duration from 30 minutes, Su said.

This will provide workers with a more thorough review of relevant laws and regulations, as well ensure they better understand their labor rights and how to find help if they encounter difficulties at work, he said.

Citing an example, Su said drunk driving and the serious penalties it incurs is one of the major issues first time workers in Taiwan need to know about.

The "one-stop" service, according to the MOL, will also make it easier for employers to apply for the documents their migrant workers need to work in the nation, as they are all provided at the end of the workers' pre-employment training.

Employers will pick up their employees on the third day after training, and can have them start work immediately thereafter, the ministry explained.

The plan is to set up two designated locations near Taoyuan International Airport and Kaohsiung International Airport to house and provide the training lectures for newly arrived migrant workers, Su said.

The hope is to roll out the one-stop service next year after the pandemic passes, he added. -Central News Agency

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