TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Kuomintang (KMT) presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) on Friday (Oct. 20) proposed an amnesty for unaccounted-for migrant workers and the loosening of restrictions on foreigners serving in the hospitality and logistics sectors.
Employers in Taiwan have frequently complained about a shortage of workers in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hotels and hospitality businesses have been asking to recruit migrant workers to help out, but the Ministry of Labor has reportedly been reluctant to open up the sector.
Presenting his migrant worker policies in Kaohsiung City’s Meinong District Friday, Hou also proposed a workforce platform to help farmers running short of help, Radio Taiwan International (RTI) reported. The candidate said his policy ideas were designed to help fight labor shortages across the country.
The platform for farmers would see brokers select staff and provide training to reduce the burden on employers, Hou said. Restrictions on the employment of migrant workers in the hotel and logistics sectors should be loosened, with changes adjusted according to the evolution of job needs per sector.
The presidential candidate also said that unaccounted-for migrants should be allowed to head back to work instead of paying fines, thus contributing to the fight against labor shortages. Taiwan counted an estimated 84,000 unaccounted-for migrant workers.