Kabayan
Interfaith NGO forum a success, says advocate
2004-09-19 / Taiwan News, Staff Reporter / By Marie Feliciano

Labor advocates that participated in an interfaith non-governmental organization forum last week have agreed to circulate a petition that aims to throw out a financial management proposal affecting foreign workers, a rights activist said yesterday.

The Council of Labor Affairs had indicated earlier on that it would junk the financial management plan which had been openly criticized by labor groups and NGOs assisting migrants.

The Asia Pacific Mission for Migrant Filipinos however noted that "the CLA has not come out with an official statement to this effect and we have requested local groups to inquire with Madame Chen Chu directly to clear out this matter."

"The participants agreed to discuss and circulate a petition in their congregations, both local and foreign, calling on the CLA not to implement the said proposal," Gi Estrada of the Migrante Sectoral Party said in a statement.

The forum was organized by the Asia Pacific Mission for Migrant Filipinos and the Reverend Joyalito Tajonera, M.M.

"There was also a suggestion from one participant to organize a bigger activity sometime next year to discuss all the problems besetting migrant workers in Taiwan," Estrada continued.

"(Its objective) is to make known to the Taiwanese public the problems (beleaguering) this underprivileged sector of Taiwan society."

Nineteen participants from six Christian denominations including two American pastors, the Muslim Imam of Taipei Grand Mosque, the Taiwan Muslim Committee, five NGOs, and an organization of foreign teachers in Taiwan attended the September 16 activity. The forum was held at the Presbyterian Church in the Taiwan General Assembly Office. The PCT is the biggest Christian Church in Taiwan and was represented by Deputy Secretary General Chuang Shu-chen.

Wu Chia-Pei, director of the Education Department of the Taiwan Association for Human Rights, was the guest speaker. According to Estrada, Wu described in detail how the CLA proposal would further violate the migrants' human rights and at the same time even Taiwan's own banking, privacy, and property rights law.

She added that the proposal would also shift the responsibility of the employers to the migrant workers themselves.

"The APMM on the other hand gave a rundown on what has been done by different groups and the developments against the proposal. It also aired out an appeal to the religious of different faiths to lend a hand to blue-collar foreign workers to broaden the support for them," said Estrada. "This challenge was accepted by the participants who promised to add their voices to the migrant workers."

A "unity statement" issued by the interfaith forum participants said, "We belong to different faiths and beliefs. Yet our conscience impels us to unite against the latest Council of Labor Affairs proposal to financially manage blue-collar foreign workers even if its implementation has been postponed at the moment."

"We cannot accept the CLA's contention that their suggestion would provide protection to the migrant workers while at the same time avoid the social burden of importing them."

According to the statement, the proposal, if it were implemented, would "ensure that the importation and repatriation of migrants would be cheaper for the employers."