The Labor Bureau of New Taipei City is celebrating the success of its comprehensive interpreting service for conflict mediation involving labor-management disputes. The service, which was launched this year, is currently offered in five languages.
As of late June, the New Taipei Labor Bureau successfully employed 17 language interpreters to help mediate 40 different labor disputes. The services, which are offered in Vietnamese, Tagalog, Thai, Burmese, and Bahasa Indonesian, are valued at over NT$680,000 (US$21,600) and have been provided free of charge by the local government.
In response to the needs of migrant workers settling in Taiwan and their employers, Labor bureaus around the country are hiring full-time employees to assist in interpretation and translation. The New Taipei Labor Bureau currently employs 84 such individuals as part of its interpreting service center.
The Ministry of Labor is planning to introduce labor law education courses to train interpreters so that they may better assist in resolving labor disputes between workers and management while protecting the labor rights of new migrants in Taiwan.
In mid-July, the MOL’s Workforce Development Agency launched a new website for foreign job seekers, which offers service in five languages, including Mandarin, English, Thai, Bahasa Indonesian, and Vietnamese. Using the website, new immigrants in Taiwan can check on the status of employment transfer requests, seek new positions, and find information about employers who are interested in hiring.
