The Overseas Filipino Workers in Taiwan is about 20 percent out of 580,000 migrants worker, Taiwan is one of the finest country to work if you wanted to be an OFW.
Last Sunday, October 18 a group of Filipino workers conduct protests in front of (MECO) Manila Economic and Culture Office due to deductions and high brokerage aside from cost increase. This matter triggers (TIWA) Taiwan International Workers’ Association a migrant group in Taiwan along with other Filipino Workers to file a protest.
We all know that there is MECO processing fee for helping out Filipino workers about their complaints. From 1000NT dollars fee will now increased to 1200NT dollars while such a complaints will no longer send out to Taiwan but it will only inform into agencies in the Philippines.
Jingrun Wu a TIWA representative said “We want a formal negotiation to take place in MECO, nothing behind closed doors,” said Jingru Wu, a representative of TIWA, at the protest. “In fact we’d rather have a dialogue here on the road, right now, than have an informal dialogue.”
Aside from it labor group wants to call the direct hiring system which have been tackled long time ago which can take place to profit-oriented private brokerage system. They also seek for complaint the unreasonable asking amount ranging from NT$70,000 – NT$200,000.