文/桃園市家庭看護工職業工會(DCU)、台灣移工聯盟(MENT)

時間：113年12月15日（日）10:00
地點：勞動部前（台北市中山區松江路207號）
發起團體：桃園市家庭看護工職業工會(DCU)&台灣移工聯盟(MENT)

台灣引進移工已經30餘年，但荒謬的是，至今絕大多數的移工，從來不曾摸過甚至看過自己的聘僱許可和轉換許可等文件。對於來台工作的移工而言，聘僱許可和轉換許可是證明自己合法工作及合法轉換雇主身份最重要的文件，而且居留效期、社會保險等效期都以此為依據。但這些文件卻長期被仲介所把持，甚至連移工雇主都拿不到。

私人仲介長期以保管之名扣留移工的聘僱文件，並藉此向移工的新雇主或新仲介索取「買工費」或「文件費」，這些費用經常也被轉嫁到移工身上，造成移工要花錢向仲介買回自己文件的剝削現象。此外，依據《就業服務法》，扣留移工證件不法行為，當移工透過1955申訴要取回文件，地方勞工主管機關不但不開罰，還經常放任仲介不歸還給移工，儼然是仲介剝削的幫兇。

現任勞動部長洪申翰接受媒體訪問時表示，「買工費」就是不當仲介的剝削行為，減少剝削對雇主以及移工都有好處。因此，工會也希望部長捍衛自己的主張，呼籲勞動部正視文件長期被仲介把持的亂象。

每年的12月18日是國際移工日，但移工在平常日多不能外出活動，因此我們選在12月15日上午10點至勞動部前陳情，要求勞動部徹底落實移工聘僱文件物歸原主，並以制度杜絕仲介插手。同時我們也邀請了移工團體、人權團體及各移工工會前來聲援，敬邀媒體朋友報導！

[Press Invitation] Break Free from Brokers Control Demand to hold our EP& TP
Date: Sunday, December 15, 2024, at 10:00 AM
Location: In front of the Ministry of Labor (No. 207, Songjiang Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei City)
Organizers: Taoyuan Domestic Caretaker Union (DCU) & Taiwan Migrant Empowerment Network (MENT)
Media Contact: Grace Huang , Domestic Caretaker Union Taoyuan, 0910-507-902

For over 30 years, Taiwan has relied on migrant workers, yet it is absurd that the vast majority of them have never seen or held their own employment or transfer permits (abbreviated as as EP and TP). These documents are vital for proving legal work status and the eligibility to transfer employers in Taiwan. They also determine the validity of residence permits and social insurances. However, these essential documents are often controlled by private brokers, sometimes even withheld from employers.

Private brokers frequently withhold employment documents under the guise of safekeeping. They then exploit the situation by demanding “placement fees” or “document fees” from new employers or brokers, costs often passed on to migrant workers. This practice forces workers to pay for retrieving their own documents, creating a vicious cycle of exploitation.

According to the Employment Service Act, withholding workers’ documents is illegal. Yet when workers file complaints through the 1955 hotline to reclaim their documents, local labor authorities often fail to penalize brokers or enforce the return of the documents, effectively enabling broker exploitation. Minister of Labor Hung Son-Hang recently acknowledged in media interviews that such fees constitute improper exploitation by brokers, emphasizing that reducing such practices benefits both employers and workers. The union urges the minister to uphold this stance and address the longstanding issue of brokers monopolizing migrant workers’ employment documents.

While International Migrants Day is celebrated on December 18, many migrant workers are unable to participate in activities on regular workdays. Therefore, we have scheduled a petition at 10:00 AM on December 15 in front of the Ministry of Labor to demand that employment documents be returned to their rightful owners and institutional measures be enacted to prevent broker interference. We also invite migrant advocacy groups, human rights organizations, and labor unions to join us in solidarity. Media friends are warmly invited to cover this event!