Law Change in Working Permit!

[Feiren]

Well, it would mean that companies could hire foreigners who want to work for less than NT$48K. That prevents companies from hiring foreigners for entry-level positions. But you are right that it will probably lead to lower salaries for many foreigners working in office as general-purpose editors or in marketing departments. But if that happens, even fewer English speaking foreigners will leave the more lucrative and less time consuming world of English teachers.

[Icon]

I am thinking about those of us who are not Native English speakers and hence do not have the option of teaching English legally. In that case, maybe more office positions will open up, but also the salaries will be lower all across the board.

[housecat]

This sounds like a bad idea for everyone, including Taiwanese who will be paid lower salaries, or denied raises, because the company can hire a foreigner for that amount of money--so why would most Taiwanese boses pay more to the "cheap" labor?

Maybe some office jobs will open up, but who's going to be lining up to work in a Taiwanese office for 45 large--or less? I'm sure there is a small segment of us out there for whom this might be okay, but not many.

And once a foreigner's starting salary is lowered in one industry, why not in another?

It's just going to get worse out there.

[Icon]

The problem would be how the cost of living is increasing while salaries are getting lower and lower for locals/foreigners and unemployment/partial employment adds pressure all around. Wonder what will happen then...

[headhonchoII]

Just don't work for them then. Low initial salaries would be like doing an internship , just get some experience and then off you go.

If they won't pay more money than the already pitiful wages take it as impetus to do something else or go somewhere else, you won't be missing much work-wise anyway.

[Icon]

Just don't work for them then. Low initial salaries would be like doing an internship , just get some experience and then off you go.

Then we would have to leave the Island for... rats, we're trapped!

[headhonchoII]

Yes thats it, if you are not willing to leave Taiwan you have to suck it up.

[Feiren]

Latest word is that foreign graduates of Taiwanese universities will be exempt from the two-year experience requirement but employers will have to pay them at least NT$37K. Graduates of foreign universities will still be subject, in general, to the two-year requirement unless employed by a Science Park employer. You can apply on a case by case basis claiming special circumstances for exemption from the two year requirement (graduating from a top university will probably help).

I think the mentality of Taiwanese officialdom is really changing though and more substantive liberalization is on the horizon. With the exception of the CLA (and to a much lesser extent the MOFA), all the agencies are on board with the idea that Taiwan would benefit from more first world foreign employees.

Stay tuned.

[headhonchoII]

Tell Moaner Mike that be can work in Taiwan now.

[Feiren]

But this news story says that graduates of top 100 universities will be permitted to work in Taiwan without experience and without any minimum salary. There is some confusion since my earlier post was what I heard from a CLA rep.

We'll see.



外勞聘僱 7月可望鬆綁【經濟日報】2012-5-9 12:50

為因應台灣人才流失，勞委會今（9）日將召開會議，討論優秀僑生與外籍生、世界百大畢業生，及高齡者看護外勞聘僱門檻，會中若獲得共識，最快可望 於今年7月實施。至於產業界關注的重點產業聘僱門檻鬆綁，將待第3季再處理。

行政院上月指示，研議放寬白領外勞聘僱門檻。勞委會表示，今天送到跨國勞動力政策協商諮詢小組的正式提案，包括在台受教育的優秀僑生與外籍 生，規劃免除2年工作經驗，並下修薪資門檻，不低於初任專業人員經常及非經常性薪資水準，估算約3.5萬元。

其次，將開放世界百大名校畢業生，不用任何限制就可來台工作。

針對百大畢業生不設限的主張，勞委會主委王如玄認為，只是要凸顯台灣人才困境的關鍵，不在條件限制，而是沒有足夠的工作機會與薪資待遇，將借這次 的鬆綁來證明勞委會「不是障礙」。