A coalition of labor groups and migrant workers’ unions yesterday urged the government to improve the working conditions of migrant workers and allow them to vote on referendums related to labor issues. About 70 migrant workers and labor rights advocates yesterday held banners and shouted “live together, decide together” in a demonstration in front of the Central Election Commission office on Xuzhou Road in Taipei. Amendments to the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法) have greatly affected migrant workers, because they have the toughest work conditions, said Hsu Wei-dong (許惟棟), a member of the Hope Workers’ Center in Hsinchu.
“Although the amendments affect them far more than others, the Ministry of Labor has not once communicated with them about the new law or translated the regulations into their languages,” he said.
Local labor groups are promoting two referendum proposals aimed at improving labor rights — one on reinstating seven public holidays that were scrapped last year and another on repealing the labor law amendments that took effect last month — and migrant workers should also be allowed to vote on them, he said.
Full Article: Groups push migrant voting rights – Taipei Times.