`Escaping' migrant workers needing protection on Taiwan
Aristotle
"The house is like a castle to a foreign migrant worker. Running away
is difficult as most workers are not aware of helpful resources
available to them," said Jimmy Chao (趙俊明), a labor relations
specialist at the Rerum Novarum Center.
For domestic workers, their workplace and living quarters are the same,
so good labor relations make happy workers and vice versa.
Unfortunately, foreign workers who work in homes are not protected by
the Employment Standards Act (勞動基準法). Many workers are
confined to the home by their employers. Many manpower brokers teach
employers how to manage their foreign workers.
The instructions impose restrictions upon workers: Many are on standby
for domestic services around the clock; some are forced to sign
agreements never to purchase a mobile phone or make friends with their
fellow citizens.
"The bottom line is to cut off all contact with the outside world as
employers believe that outside influences will lead their workers
astray," Chao said.
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2005/01/14/2003219318