Taipei: A coalition of migrant rights groups rallied outside the Ministry of Labor (MOL) on Sunday to urge the government to address systemic issues ingrained in manufacturing sectors prone to occupational accidents. Many migrant workers undertake "4D" jobs-dangerous, difficult, dirty, and demeaning-at hardware, plastics, or rubber manufacturers that Taiwanese workers are reluctant to do, said migrant rights advocate Kevin Zhang at the rally.
According to Focus Taiwan, instead of using machines, some employers in these sectors make migrant workers carry heavy loads, causing damage to their muscles and bones, said Zhang, a member of the Taiwan International Workers' Association (TIWA), one of the protesting groups. This has led to a disproportionate number of migrant workers suffering occupational accidents. In a joint statement, the groups cited data released by the MOL in 2019 showing that 0.489 percent of migrant workers became disabled as a result of occupational accidents, around 350 percent higher than the 0.14 percent of their Taiwanese counterparts facing the same fate.
The groups noted that the situation is likely even more dire at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 50 employees because they are not required by law to submit records of occupational accidents to labor inspection agencies. Many unreported cases result in migrant workers not receiving any compensation from their employers.
The groups demanded that the MOL launch ad-hoc labor inspections at SMEs employing a high percentage of migrant workers and publish inspection results to avoid manipulation. They also insisted that migrants be allowed to appoint representatives to observe labor inspections and that ad-hoc meetings be convened to discuss solutions to occupational hazards facing migrant workers.
One case highlighting the potential issues faced by migrants was that of Anas, an Indonesian worker employed in a medium-sized enterprise for 11 years starting in 2012. Anas said he often had to manually move molds weighing 20 to 80 kilograms without any machinery, eventually developing serious health issues that caused insufferable pain. He sought medical attention in March 2024 and was diagnosed with nerve compression syndrome and spinal displacement, necessitating surgery.
Anas' former employer refused to cover his medical bills, did not compensate him, and fired him without severance. His case is now in arbitration at the local government level, but he is not optimistic due to what he perceives as government indifference and lack of protection of his rights.
In response to the rights groups' appeals, Chu Wen-yung, director of the MOL's Occupational Safety and Health Administration, stated that the MOL has been conducting ad-hoc labor inspections at high-risk companies. Between 2022 and 2024, the MOL conducted 22,764 inspections, ordered work to be suspended 186 times, and imposed fines totaling NT$69.52 million (US$2.11 million). However, no information was provided on compensation for injured workers.
Chu mentioned that ensuring migrant workers' participation in labor inspections requires deeper discussion, citing the need for some companies to protect commercial secrets. He added that the MOL regularly convenes meetings with central and local labor inspection agency heads to review and improve measures ensuring the occupational safety of migrant workers.