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進入《TAIPEI TIMES 焦點》 Chen pledges migrant worker reforms
LEGAL PROTECTION: Chen Chien-jen said that the Democratic Progressive Party would strive for better working conditions and social security for migrants if elected
By Loa Iok-sin / Staff reporter
Democratic Progressive Party （DPP） vice-presidential candidate Chen Chien-jen （陳建仁） yesterday recognized the contributions of migrant workers from the Philippines and promised to improve welfare and rights for migrant workers.
While attending a church service at Taipei’s St Christopher’s Church yesterday, Chen said: “I would like to thank migrant workers across Taiwan. You have traveled a great distance, leaving behind your homes and families to provide important services for Taiwanese.”
Chen was invited by the Archbishop of Taiwan Hung Shan-chuan （洪山川） to deliver a speech during an English-language Mass of the majority Filipino congregation.
“Without your help, numerous Taiwanese industries would cease to operate,” Chen said.
Chen said that while being grateful for the services and culture that migrant workers bring to Taiwan, he and DPP presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen （蔡英文） are determined to enhance their working conditions and social security.
“We understand that these basic assurances are essential to your work here. Issues that people care about include a reasonable amount of leave in order to avoid overwork and a lack of rest,” Chen said.
“Furthermore, we must provide appropriate legal protection against unreasonable treatment, verbal abuse and physical exploitation in the workplace,” Chen said, adding that if elected, the DPP would help to provide job training for foreign domestic caregivers, so that they could improve their professional skills.
Chen said the DPP would push for the relaxation of regulations concerning accreditation of university degrees from across Southeast Asia so that people could be more competitive in the job market.
Chen also said that if elected, the DPP would push for second-language lessons at school, so their children would have the opportunity to speak their immigrant parents’ mother tongue.
Before going into the church, Chen also took questions from the media.
Commenting on Hon Hai Precision Industry Co chairman Terry Gou’s （郭台銘） call on presidential candidates to set inflexible goals in economic policies, Chen said that without good and feasible policies, “all the goals and slogans are just bad checks.”
Chen also apologized for comparing the Chinese Nationalist Party’s （KMT） long-term elderly-care policy of creating isolated nurseries to a leprosarium.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
