Taipei:Labor groups have accused a Taiwanese offshore wind equipment manufacturer of exploiting Indonesian technical workers by allegedly swapping their monthly salary contracts for lower-paying hourly agreements. They are calling for a review of the system that facilitated their employment in Taiwan.
According to Focus Taiwan, the protest took place outside the Ministry of Labor in Taipei, where groups like the Taiwan International Workers' Association (TIWA) highlighted complaints from five workers representing a larger group. These workers reported issues related to pay and working conditions on offshore wind projects involving Century Energy Co., Ltd., a key player in manufacturing offshore wind subsea foundations.
Betty Chen, a coordinator with TIWA, explained that these workers, skilled welders and fitters, were brought to Taiwan by Singapore-based Sheffield Green and Indonesia's PT Kepodang Makmur Sejahtera under a "contract performance" system. This system allows overseas companies to send personnel to work on contracted projects. Some workers had initially signed contracts for a monthly salary of NT$48,000 (US$1,482) but later received an hourly wage ranging from NT$100 to NT$143.
Century Energy responded to these allegations by stating that the workers were brought to Taiwan under arrangements sanctioned by Taiwanese authorities and denied any legal responsibility evasion. They contested the claims regarding wages, saying they "did not match the facts," though they did not provide specific wage details. The company also stated that employment terms were dictated by agreements between the workers and the contractors, making direct intervention "inappropriate." However, they promised to monitor the workers' welfare and cooperate with government inspections.
One worker, using the pseudonym Eko, reported earning about NT$100 an hour despite his professional qualifications and experience. He expressed frustration over being paid less than migrant workers he trained, despite working approximately 260 hours a month without labor or occupational accident insurance. Another worker, Yat, shared that he was promised NT$48,000 a month but received a lower hourly contract shortly before leaving Indonesia.
Chen pointed out that Taiwan's minimum wage is NT$29,500 per month or NT$196 per hour for covered workers. She estimated that a worker earning NT$100 an hour would make NT$28,362 a month with bonuses and overtime, based on 26 workdays and 14 hours of overtime.
The labor groups cited Century Energy's 2025 sustainability report, which mentioned 508 contract performance personnel assigned to facilities in New Taipei's Bali District and Taichung. They estimated that similar arrangements might save the company over NT$14 million monthly in wages and employment-related contributions.
Protesters demanded investigations into disguised employment, contract reviews, compensation, continued employment under appropriate terms, and a system to support workers seeking redress. The Ministry of Labor responded by affirming that foreign workers dispatched under commercial contracts must receive protections under Taiwanese laws, such as the Labor Standards Act. The ministry pledged to increase inspections of high-risk cases and enforce the law on companies circumventing employment and labor regulations.