Migrant Workers Want to Vote in Referendum Against Labor Law Revision|反勞基法修惡公投第2階段連署 移工也參與

Labor groups are gathering signatures for the second phase of the referendum that aims to void the latest revisions to the labor law. The Migrants Empowerment Network in Taiwan says they will mobilize migrant workers across Taiwan to voice their opposition against the revision.


Close to a hundred migrant workers have gathered outside the Central Election Commission to call on the government to grant them basic political rights. The latest revision to the labor law, which cleared the Legislature earlier this year, is likely to make their work conditions worse. The workers want the right to vote so they have a voice in society.

I hope to be able to vote in the referendum so the government could hear our voice. We migrant workers have our rights too, and the Taiwanese government needs to hear our voice.

The latest data shows there are about 670,000 migrant workers in Taiwan. Labor groups have criticized the government for not communicating with migrant workers when amending the labor law. They said the government has not issued any translation of the labor law amendments to inform migrant workers and that makes the workers feel overlooked.

We migrant workers all come from different countries and we have to unite to fight for our legal rights. Otherwise we could easily get exploited by our employers.

The Migrants Empowerment Network in Taiwan, a local labor rights group, said they will translate the content and impact of the latest labor law revision into different languages. They will send copies to migrant workers to encourage them to participate in the referendum.