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We organizations/individuals are calling for the revocation of the National Tax Administration of Taiwan's new regulation that all foreigners including migrant workers who would stay 183 days in any given year would need to pay 20% income tax starting January 2009. We deem this tax as oppressive and discriminatory and would not promote social justice as the government deems it in light of its ongoing tax reform package.
This will also negate any increase if ever in the minimum wage this year and comes at a time when the Taiwan government has decided to give monthly subsidies to low income Taiwanese families.
At present, said 20% non-refundable income tax is only implemented on those who stay for less than 183 days of the whole time that they are in Taiwan for the duration of their contract up to a maximum of three years and those who entered Taiwan after July 2nd. In essence, all migrant workers will experience this oppressive and discriminatory regulation.
The 20% non-refundable income tax will be implemented on one of the lowest paid wage earners in Taiwan society. Foreign household service workers (HSWs) receive a monthly wage of NT$15,840 even smaller than the minimum wage while migrant workers of other job categories only receive the said wage of NT$17,280.
The real wages of migrant workers is actually between NT$6,195 - NT$11,877 a month for a six year period because of various deductions on their pay. An increase in the income tax of the migrant workers would further erode this by a minimum of NT$2217 for HSW's and NT$2497 for other job categories.
If this is not oppressive than what is it? The 20% income tax is equivalent to those who earn NT$1,090,001 – NT$2,180,000 per annum or NT$90,833 – NT$181,667 a month. This is also discriminatory as this is only applied to foreign nationals.
This proposal of the Taiwan government comes at a time that a minimum wage increase is being demanded by local workers and would benefit migrant workers covered by the Labor Standards Law. The Taiwan government has also recently approved a plan to subsidize low income Taiwanese families from NT$3,000 to NT$6,000 a month from October 2008 to March 2009. These would be given to those who earn from less than NT$140,000 – NT$300,000 a month.
We also urge our respective governments to oppose the proposal to increase our income taxes and the present one that is being implemented on us. Other than this they should also request the Taiwan government to limit all deductions on the minimum wage of the workers to only 10% or even none at all.
As signatories to the International Labor Organization (ILO) they should follow its opinion when it stated that the law seeks to protect the worker from excessive deductions not only by prescribing the maximum proportion of earnings which may be deducted, but also by providing that the minimum wage should remain immune from deductions.
As for us migrant workers we promise to campaign against this oppressive and unjust proposal and get the support of the most number from our ranks and from advocates in and out of Taiwan. One of these is by affixing our names and signatures in this petition letter addressed to the National Tax Administration of Taiwan.
Initial Signatories:
Taiwan
Filipino Migrant Organizations:
Aguman Kapampangan in Taiwán
Efraim Clareza - Bicol Association
Bugkos (Taichung)
Kapulungan ng Samahang Pilipino (KaSaPi)
Federation of Filipino Communities in Taiwan (FFCT) Taiwan
Filipino Bowlers Club (FBC) Taiwan
Filipinos Married to Taiwanese Association (FMTA) Taiwan
Lalaine Nava - Migranteng Ilonggo sa Taiwan
Migrante Taiwan
OFW Family club, Taiwán chapter
Overseas Workers Bowling Association (OWBA) - Taiwan
Pundok Bisaya International
Samahang Ilocano
Samahang Makata International, Taiwán chapter
Vis-Min Association in Taiwan
Plus 820 individual migrant workers (Filipinos and Indonesians)
James, Pakistan
Sunny, Pakistan
Arfan, Pakistan
Liza, Indonesia
Mylina, Indonesia
Indah, Indonesia
+ 4
4 Vietnamese
1 Japanese
1 Thai
Tsai, Chih-Chieh
Wu Jia - Pei
Chen Hung- Ying
Huang Tiningnan
Wu Jiazhen
Hsia Hsiao Chuan
Lorna Kung
Hsin-Hsing Chen - Associate Professor Shih Shin University
Jau-Hua Chen - Peace Time Foundation
Wang Hsing -Chung - Amnesty International Taiwan
Wang - Chuan Ping - Labor Rights Association
Lennon Ying-Dah Wong, General Secretary, First Commercial Bank Industrial Union (FCBIU)
Su Mei Wu, Taipei National University of the Arts (TNUA)
47 other Taiwanese
Jon Solomon, Assistant Professor, Tamkang University, Taiwan
GRAY (TITOGRAY) GLEASON, ICRT - ASIANATION PROGRAM, TAIWAN/PHILIPPINES
David Frazier, Taipei
Fr. Joyalito "Joy" Tajonera, M.M., UGNAYAN MIGRANT AND IMMIGRANT MINISTRY, Taichung
Fr. Antonio Salvania, CHAPLAIN, FILIPINO COMMUNITY-TAICHUNG
Raul Manila - Filipino Post
The Migrants (Taiwan)
Labor Rights Association
TAVOI - Taiwan Association for Victims of Occupational Injuries
Taiwán International Workers Association (TIWA)
The New Immigrants Labor Rights Association-Allison Lee
Other Countries and Territories:
Africa
BAOBAB FOR WOMEN'S HUMAN RIGHTS, NIGERIA
Tashinga Matindike, UCT, South Africa
Fabian Saftoun, UCT, South Africa
Fritha Hangerman, UCT, South Africa
Middle East
A. M. Ociones, Chairperson - Migrante Saudi Arabia
John Leonard Monterona – Migrante - Middle East regional coordinator
Migrante Kuwait
Migrante Qatar
Migrante-Saudi Arabia
Migante-Jeddah
Kapatiran sa Gitnang Silangan-Migrante Riyadh
KGS - Migrante Al Jouf
Migrante United Arab Emirates
Eric B. Jocson - Migrante Riyadh
Europe
Agliberto Aquino, Ugnayan ng Komunitang Pilipino(UKP), Florence, ItalyRegula Kaufmann, Switzerland
Leppo Salminen, Academy of fine arts, Finland
Ann Schemburg - Die Lihhe
Julia Riccuter, Art school Vassel, Germany
Biorn Melchus, Art school Vassel, Germany
Catrine Val, Kurest Hochsdule Vienna, Austria
Alexander Chestant, Paris, France
Rachel Baker – UK
North America
Evelyn Calugay, PINAY (Filipino Women's Organization in Quebec) Quebec, Canada
Ditma Luz Trocio, Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, Canada
Leon Lapointe - CANADA
Ligaya L. McGovern, Ph.D., Indiana University, USA
Asia Pacific
Tumiur Harianja, Center for Indonesian Migrant Workers, Indonesia
Carla Natan, Urban Community Mission Jakarta, Indonesia
May Kotsakis, Philippines Australia Solidarity Association
George Kotsakis, Migrante Australia
Jacchi Jang, OCA, Australia
Jay Younger, Australia
Debra Porch, Australia
Hong Kong
Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants - APMM
Abra Tingguian Ilocano Society (ATIS), Hong Kong
Association of Sri Lankans
Jun Tellez – Mission for Migrant Workers HK
United Filipinos in Hong Kong (UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK)
Bruce Van Voorhis, Asian Human Rights Commission
Filipino Migrant Workers Union Chater Road Chapter, Hong Kong
Gabriela Women's Party Hong Kong Chapter
Gertrudis Moralde, Pinatud a Saleng ti Umili-HK
Rose Wu, Hong Kong
Philippines
Anna Leah Escresa, Ecumenical Institute for Labor Education and Research (EILER)
Migrante Metro Baguio
PROF. JUDY M. TAGUIWALO UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES DILIMAN
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