A recent contest organized by Taiwan’s Ministry of Labor reveals at once the condescending attitude of labor officials to migrant workers in Taiwan. This takes place despite rhetoric from the state touting the pluralism of Taiwanese society and the inclusion of migrant workers in the social fabric.
The contest is entitled the “2022 National Model Foreign Worker Competition”. Participant workers are eligible as part of the contest to win a 10,000 NT cash prize and the opportunity to meet Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen.
However, ironically enough, workers do not themselves decide whether they want to participate in the contest. This is instead chosen by their employers and brokers, who are to nominate them at their local labor offices by the end of January. After being nominated in this fashion, they are then judged by a panel of expert judges.
The first time that the contest took place was last year. Only 45 were nominated nationwide, though Taiwan is home to hundreds of thousands of migrant workers, in fields ranging from factory work or deep-sea fishing to taking care of the elderly.
Yet the contest simply adds insult to injury. The cash prize of 10,000 NT is a pittance when migrant workers make below the minimum wage in Taiwan, and on average make just over 20,000 NT. Likewise, migrant workers work long hours, whether this involves attending to elderly Taiwanese around-the-clock or in factories.
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