• Last updated:2021-11-03

Quarterly Focus

• uarterly Focus

  The Council of Labor Affairs, Executive Yuan, will be reorganized in 2013 and become the Ministry of Labor. Describing the Ministry's vision Minister Pan Shi-wei stated that, in the past, policies were centered on labor protection, however, in the future, all the stakeholders in the labor process will be the focus of the Ministry. The Ministry will promote its vision while upholding three principles: independence, equality, and development, moreover create more employment opportunities, pursue social justice and raise the level of national competitiveness.

Policies & Regulations

• The Taiwan Workplace Equality Best Practice Promotion Plan

  In 2011, the Council of Labor Affairs replaced the Best Family- friendly Workplace Competition with the Taiwan Workplace Equality Best Practice(T-WEB)program. This program aims to promote regular communication and advice-seeking between companies, as well as assist to enterprises establish a family- friendly workplace system. Also, the program will act as a channel for communication, study and promotion of family- friendly workplaces between enterprises.

• The Allocation Rate for Foreign Workers for new investment cases and returning overseas Taiwan business investment cases

  In order to stimulate the economy, boost new domestic investment, and encourage overseas Taiwanese businesses to return and invest in Taiwan, the Executive Yuan invited the Council for Economic Planning and Development, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, and the Council of Labor Affairs to come to a joint decision regarding foreign workers. The Boost Domestic Investment Proposal approves raising the quota for hiring foreign workers by 5% or 10%. Furthermore, companies hiring foreign workers will be exempt from paying the additional employment security fees for a period of 3 years. Returning overseas Taiwanese investors are permitted to hire an extra 15% or 20% foreign workers, and will be exempt from the Employment Stability Fee for a period of 5 years. At the end of this period, employers must return to the 3K5 five-ratio system, and pay the additional employment security fees for any extra foreign workers employed. The Council of Labor Affairs is currently working on the law making process related to the aforementioned system of employing of foreign workers in the manufacturing industry.

• Relaxing the work experience restrictions for foreign graduates remaining in Taiwan to work, and the employment salary threshold.

  In view of the raise talent, keep talent idea, the Council of Labor Affairs issued a regulation on June 14 2012. The regulation states that foreign students, overseas Chinese, and ethnic Chinese students, that graduated from a public or registered private university in Taiwan on or after the school year of 2011, are permitted to undertake specialized and technical jobs, providing that their average monthly salary is NT$37,619 or above. They are not required to have two years work experience.

• Promotion of the Guidelines for the Youth Employment Subsidy

  On January 1st 2012, the Council of Labor Affairs promotes the Guidelines for the Youth Employment Subsidy, aimed at people between 18 and 29 years old who are looking for a job for the first time or have been unemployed for more than six months. The plan will offer two years NT$120,000 in training and studying grants to encourage unemployed youths to strengthen their working skills and improve their abilities for finding a job, as well as promoting employment.

• Maternity Protection for Women Workers The Council of Labor Affairs opens "Maternity Protection at Work Consulting Clinic"

  Since 1919, the International Labor Organization's Maternity Protection Convention has stipulated the relevant provisions for the protection of mothers. Noting the provision of Universal Declaration of Human Rights(1948), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women(1979), of United Nations and under the principles of maternity protection and employment equality, the ILO has adopted measures to protect pregnant or nursing mothers from the hazards of workplace, as well as other pregnant and breastfeeding women health protection measures, in accordance with the MPC revision of 2000.

News Outlook

• Labor rights on demand The Council of Labor Affairs has introduced a Bureau of Labor Insurance(BLI)Mobile Service App and an enquiry service on labor insurance accessible through one's Postal ATM card

  On 27th September 2012, alongside the increasing popularisation of Wi-Fi, smartphones and computer tablets, the Council of Labor Affairs, introduced an individualised mobile service through the integration of Citizen Digital Certificate and Electronic Signatures into APP technology. This service not only provides more diverse and convenient channels for labor insurance enquiries, but the integrating of Citizen Digital Certificate and Electronic Signatures into an APP is also a first for government agencies.

• From January 1 2013 Minimum Hourly Wage to be raised to NT$109

  The Council of Labor Affairs announced the minimum hourly wage will be raised from NT$103 to NT$109 beginning January 1, 2013. If hourly wage is below the adjusted rate as agreed upon by labor and management, it should be rectified in accordance with the law from January 1st 2013.

• The Institute of Occupational Safety & Health is energetically working towards improving the workplace for workers

  The Institute of Occupational Safety & Health(hereafter referred to as IOSH)has been offering guidance to businesses regarding investment in industrial safety and improving workplace conditions. Since 2009, the IOSH has helped 366 enterprises mitigate cutting and entanglement hazards and improve ventilation, reducing the cases of workers suffering from disability and injury at work by 36.1% and 22.8%, as well as achieving energy expenditure savings of NT$223,240,000 and NT$76,170,000 being put into improving industrial safety shortcomings, giving an industrial safety investment rate of 34.1%.

• Source:Department of General Planning
• Publication Date:2012-11-30
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