Taiwan bans RI workers indefinitely<\/p>\n
Associated Press, Taiwan<\/p>\n
Taiwan banned the hiring of Indonesian workers on Thursday,
\ncomplaining too many have broken their contracts and run away
\nfrom their jobs.<\/p>\n
The indefinite ban could be a blow to cash-strapped Indonesia
\nbecause Taiwan has become a major income source for tens of
\nthousands of the Southeast Asian nation's workers. About 97,000
\nIndonesians work on the island as maids, construction workers,
\nfactory laborers and caretakers for the elderly.<\/p>\n
Last May, more than half - or 397 - of the 693 foreign workers
\nwho ran away from their jobs were from Indonesia, the Council of
\nLabor Affairs said. The council said 134 of the runaways were
\nfrom Vietnam, 76 from the Philippines and 86 from Thailand.<\/p>\n
Part of the problem is that Indonesian law requires the
\nworkers wire a minimum of NT$3,000 (US$1=NT$33.66) a month back
\nto Indonesia, said a council official.<\/p>\n
The workers are forced to do this by labor brokers, who could
\nlose their right to recruit workers if the laborers don't remit
\nthe money, the official said.<\/p>\n
\"The money the laborers make is their own. They have every
\nright to decide what to do with it,\" the official said.<\/p>\n
Many workers break their contracts with the labor brokers and
\nseek illegal work so they can avoid the Indonesian regulation.<\/p>\n
Taiwan has requested help from Indonesia but so far Jakarta
\nhasn't responded, said the official, who wouldn't describe what
\nkind of assistance Taiwan expected.<\/p>\n
Representatives at the Indonesian Economic and Trade Office in
\nTaipei didn't return phone calls from The Associated Press.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/taiwan-bans-ri-workers-indefinitely-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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