Activist groups call for housing outside of factories.
Last Sunday a fire broke out in a metalwork factory in Dadu, Taichung, killing three migrant workers in the second-floor dormitories. In the past two years 11 migrant workers have died in factory fires. Local activist groups have called their eleventh press conference to demand the Ministry of Labor to enforce separate housing regulations.
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On March 22, fire claimed the lives of 3 Vietnamese migrant workers on the second floor dorms at Tzeng Wei Industrial in Dadu, Taichung. Similar tragedies have happened in the past: the 2017 Sican fire that killed 6 migrant workers; the 2018 Chih Poon fire that killed 2 migrant workers and 6 firefighters. Local advocacy groups have been holding press conferences to urge the Taiwanese Ministry of Labor to carry out separate housing requirements for employers. On the 31st, they paid their respects outside of the Ministry, in remembrance of the migrant workers and in protest against the government’s lack of action.
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Chairwoman Lin Shujhen of the Taiwan Association for Victims of Occupational Injuries (TAVOI) said: “Our firefighters also are at risk, they also die in the fires. So why is it that we’re waging a war against the pandemic to save lives, but not against fire hazards?”
In the morning, migrants from several countries also supported the protests. Filipino migrant worker Arturo pointed out that in the six years before the fire, he had been living in the basement of the factory. Even an earthquake was enough to terrify the migrant workers. Arturo said: “Since we are in the basements, there’s no way that we’ll all be able to escape through the single exit if there is another fire.”
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DPP legislator Hung Sunhan brought up the question of housing reform for migrant workers at the Legislative Yuan on Wednesday the 25th. “How many more migrant workers have to die before separate housing is available for all? I believe that the Ministry of Labor has an obligation to require all employers to provide separate housing within a certain timeframe in order to keep their employment permits.” The Minister, Hsu Mingchun, replied: “To deny employers their permits because of housing issues goes against the current legislation, so it would be difficult to execute such a plan.”
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The Minister of Labor, Hsu Mingchun, turned down the legislator’s suggestion due to legal obstacles. On the morning of the 31st the Workforce Development Agency, a branch of the Ministry of Labor, announced a plan to set standards and evaluations for the welfare of foreigners in Taiwan, which would require employers to voluntarily declare that there are no inflammable materials in their factories. Such a response was met with disappointment from advocates, who see it as completely different from their call for separate housing.
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