We still don’t know the situation here. I would love to hear from the woman in question, but perhaps she has never heard of this forum.
Then let’s place an ad in the China Post and tell her…
Taiwan’s labour laws make little or no distinction between foreign workers of the blue and white collar varieties. Those of us in white-collar jobs had better realise that if the authorities can get away with trampling on the rights of blue-collar migrant workers, they will be free to do the same to the white-collar ones. Bear in mind the trade union maxim, an injury to one is an injury to all!
No one in this forum has questioned whether the China Post should participate in the manhunt for missing employees by accepting ads like this. Maybe some of those angry phone calls should be directed at the management of newspapers that accept such ads.
OK, why don’t all us ‘Alien’ Chalkies and Editors go on strike for a day in protest of this unfair work practise.
Most of the ‘chalkies’ here are such greedy bastards they wouldn’t go on strike and lose a day’s buxiban wages! You must be kidding…
quote:Juba, I'm embarassed that I didn't even think of that aspect of the whole thing. Of course China Post is in the wrong here. I'm sure that Teacher Wang was not required to prove the SA teacher's lack of work ethics, residency status, or even if a work relationship in fact existed between the two. Damn, I'm going to take out an ad saying that Chen Shuibian broke his contract with ME, and holds a PRC passport, and frequently engages in illicit sex acts with the monkeys in Taipei Zoo.. I wonder if they'll require any sort of proof in such a case? [img]images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]
Originally posted by Juba: No one in this forum has questioned whether the China Post should participate in the manhunt for missing employees by accepting ads like this. Maybe some of those angry phone calls should be directed at the management of newspapers that accept such ads.
don’t think so. A maid is brought to this country under contract and the hirer has all kinds of legal obligations if she splits. An English teacher from whatever country is hired under a whole different set of rules and I don’t think the Busihiban owner is even required to notify the police if they break their contract, someone correct me if I’m wrong.
Businesses do have to notify the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and The Ministry of Education when a teacher breaks a contract. (If employed by a bushiban.) There is simply no way MOFA is going to let a bunch of people run around with canceled visas or illegal ARCs. If the company that employs the teacher doesn’t notify them, then they have to explain to other agencies why they no longer pay for health insurance or taxes. Surely, you know people that have been deported. Now, we all know that there are people here who come in and out on 2 month stints with renewable visas. That’s a different situation altogether. What I’m not sure about is if the company MUST serve notification elsewhere as I’ve been told. Somebody help us get to the bottom of this thing!
quote:
Originally posted by Maoman: Damn, I'm going to take out an ad saying that Chen Shuibian broke his contract with ME, and holds a PRC passport, and frequently engages in illicit sex acts with the monkeys in Taipei Zoo.. I wonder if they'll require any sort of proof in such a case? [img]images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]
Actually… I believe the China Post would gleefully print that ad.
Miss M would be rubbing her hands in glee if that had been published in the UK - what a jolly little libel it is !
It wouldn’t be libel if it were true, would it?
It would be up to the defendant advertiser to prove that though.
quote:
Originally posted by daltongang: don't think so. A maid is brought to this country under contract and the hirer has all kinds of legal obligations if she splits. An English teacher from whatever country is hired under a whole different set of rules and I don't think the Busihiban owner is even required to notify the police if they break their contract, someone correct me if I'm wrong.
Yes, they are required to notify the police. It is stipulated in the Employment Services Law. The law is just the same for all foreign employees, be they maids, navvies, teachers, disk jockeys or jugglers.
A school sponsors your work permit so really they are responsible for you while you are here.
Had a teacher at my school who broke his contract at least two years ago and then was arrested for a “crime” a few months back. Anyway the police came to my school trying to hold the owner accountable for this teacher’s actions as the school was this person’s “guarantor”. As far as we all knew, this teacher had left the country.
If you are signing any “Letters of Guarantee” for any South African teachers, be careful. You will be accountable.
WHAT ?!
That is a pathetic generalisation !! It would seriously be more apropriate omitting “South African” from that sentence.
Stick that in your Taiwan you twat.
Forgive me for getting off topic here, but shouldn’t we be rallying behind the Filipina workers even more because of this? Unless we break “real” laws (drug related, etc.) our countries can protect us (at least from physical harm; it wouldn’t be worth it for ROC to waste its time because of the backlash it would recieve), and the only reason our contracts exist is because our employers are a bit afraid of us; we have the upper hand because they need us to run their schools, and we really are relatively hard to come by. And really we have the power to leave at anytime (albeit with some forfeitures, in some cases) but the laws that apply to the Filipinas are frighteningly powerful. There is a definite fear of them running away (not without reason, if you’ve become aquainted with any of them; their lives are very hard, generally speaking, and if we were EVER treated in such a manner, we’d be on the first plane out!). While most employers break their contracts with them, if the amahs stray from their ends, the repercussions are drastic.
Someone said that we all have to stick together, and let them look after themselves, but how can they when most aren’t allowed out of the house unless they’re doing chores, and they have a government-enforced curfew and a million things to do before bed. Who among them would ever find the time or freedom to begin a website like this, and even if some could, how many would ever be allowed to gain access to it?
This is true. The workers from the Philippines are often treated horribly. There are many, many stories out there that really make you question what kind of people there are who would “hire” a person into virtual slavery.