Earlier today, dozens of people—including Taidoc union members, other labor unions, and civil society groups—gathered outside the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) to hold a press conference.
They protested against MECO, calling on its officials to stop acting like Taidoc’s PR team and interfering in union affairs.
The Taidoc Union strongly condemned what it described as collusion between MECO and Taidoc management. The union pointed out that MECO has completely ignored the union’s side, while choosing to believe only the company and workers handpicked by management. This, they said, betrays MECO’s duty to serve Filipino nationals.
Since the labor dispute began, MECO officials have never reached out to the union. Instead, they’ve visited Taidoc multiple times and even issued a letter that reads more like a company press release—fully endorsing Taidoc’s policies while accusing the union of “exaggerating,” “creating division,” and “damaging the company’s reputation.”
The union fired back:“If Taidoc’s reputation is damaged, it’s Taidoc’s own doing.”
Union Demands
- The Taidoc Union is calling for:
- The immediate withdrawal of the March 10 letter
- A public apology for that letter and for telling workers to “just resign”
A firm commitment to properly investigate and discipline those responsible, and to ensure this never happens again.
Workers and Groups Speak Out
Several migrant worker advocates also spoke at the press conference, exposing what they described as longstanding negligence, red-tagging, and harassment by MECO officials.
Joana Rosa Dela Rosa, Taidoc Union Board Member:
“Months ago, when our dignity was being crushed by inhumane dorm rules, we asked MECO for help. All they told us was: ‘Just quit.’ Now that we’ve formed a union, suddenly you show up in our factory—not to help us, but to speak for the boss.
Remember this: your funding comes from our remittances and fees. You’re supposed to serve the Filipino people—not Taidoc.
Our struggle is real. The company fines are real. And we will not let you divide and silence us.”
Wang Ying-Da, Taidoc Union Secretary-General:
“Taidoc’s forced labor practices have already been confirmed with fines from two labor bureaus. Even the Minister of Labor said this kind of union suppression will ‘not be tolerated.’
And yet MECO still sides with the company—this is shameful.
With US-Taiwan trade pressure and Section 301 scrutiny focusing on forced labor, Taidoc is basically telling the world: yes, we use forced labor—and we won’t back down.”
Gilda Banugan, Migrante International Taiwan Chapter Chair:
“This is nothing new. MECO has a long history of silencing dissent through red-tagging.
I’ve experienced it myself—they even tried to deport me just for standing up for migrant rights.
We also remember the case of Linn Silawan, a caregiver targeted for deportation in 2020 simply for criticizing the Philippine government.
MECO has become a machine of fear—but you cannot deport the truth, and you cannot erase our demand for justice.”
Julia Mariano, Filipino Student in Taiwan:
“Let’s be real—MECO acts as an agent of the Philippine government’s labor export system. They treat us like commodities, not human beings.
They side with employers to keep the exploitation cycle going and remittances flowing.
They should be ashamed—mahiya dapat sila.
We need an office that protects people, not one that whitewashes abusive corporations.”
Francia Balderama, Chinese Federation of Labour:
“I’ve worked in Taiwan for nearly 10 years. Throughout that time, unions have repeatedly brought migrant workers’ concerns to MECO—but they’ve always been ignored.
Their ‘standard procedure’ is simple: do nothing until things turn into a scandal.
They only pretend to care after the damage is done—but never act to prevent abuse.”
Marnelline Morales, Askey Labor Union:
“To fellow migrant workers: don’t be afraid.
At Askey, they told us unions were useless—but once we organized, we forced the company to return illegal fees and improve living conditions.
To Taidoc workers and migrant workers across Taiwan:
A union is our right—and our only real weapon.
If MECO won’t protect us, we’ll protect each other. Organize. Fight. Stand tall.
We are not remittance machines—we are workers with power. And we won’t stop until every broker and abusive boss is held accountable.”
Support from Labor and Civil Society
Representatives from multiple organizations also voiced support:
Yang Shu-Wei, Taiwan Labor Front:
“Every worker—local or migrant—has the right to form a union. That’s not just Taiwanese law, it’s a global consensus.
If Taidoc is losing business, it’s not because of the union—it’s because the company insists on breaking the law.”
Weng Chien-Wen, Taiwan International Workers Association:
“Taidoc has already been fined twice recently, and has six labor law violations since 2021.
And this isn’t MECO’s first time—after last year’s migrant worker march, one official even mocked participants online and accused us of terrorism.
Is dividing workers really what MECO is supposed to do? Stop acting as an accomplice to union suppression.”
Liu Li-Chun-Ta, Amnesty International Taiwan:
“We see three clear tactics Taidoc is using:
- Supporting ‘yellow unions’ controlled by management
- Using fear, threats, and firings to intimidate union members
- Exploiting contract insecurity to keep migrant workers silent
If Taidoc is losing orders because of labor disputes, that’s on them—and the Taiwanese government also bears responsibility.”
Chen Jing-He, Asia Citizen Future Association:
“Taidoc’s medical products are built on the exploitation of Filipino women workers and union suppression.
Despite intense pressure, Taidoc union leaders have bravely organized and spoken out—that’s incredibly powerful.
If MECO won’t protect migrant workers, then unions will.”
Lin Pu-Chin, National Taiwan University Labor Union:
“We don’t need Taidoc’s money to figure this out—we’re not fools.
The company claims there are ‘dark forces’ interfering, yet also says the union only has eight members.
So which is it?
Is this small union somehow forcing workers to join—or is the company, which controls deportation power, the one manipulating everything?”
Tsai Cheng-Yu, Resistance United:
“Let’s be clear: if this is the kind of useless attitude MECO is going to show, migrant workers don’t expect—or need—your help.
Despite repeated crackdowns by both the company and MECO, we’re only growing stronger.
We will not back down.
We will fight—with the power of union solidarity—until the end.”
[Written by Taidoc Union]
[Photo by Taidoc Union]