Foreigners can work only in manufacturing, construction, shipping or as domestic helpers or caregivers. But strong demand has not made Taiwan a job-seeker's paradise. Instead, it has strengthened the hand of the brokers, who put workers in touch with employers. Such excessive fees are illegal in Taiwan and in countries such as Thailand and the Philippines, but the laws have had little effect on the brokers' activities. In defense of his industry, Steve Kuan, chairman of the Taipei Association of Manpower Agencies, says that part of the reason for rising costs is employer greed.
Bosses now expect cash rebates, gold coins and even free trips abroad in return for their patronage.
Kuan also insists that his fees cover the worker's airfare, plus a complicated, 50-step bureaucratic process that continues throughout the employee's stay in Taiwan. That kind of argument does not wash with Bernadette Chen, director of the non-governmental Migrant Workers' Concern Desk. Not only does she think the brokers are avaricious, she believes there is a stronger force than the employers and the agencies at work. The real bosses of the brokers are the high government officials and legislators. She says CLA officials have told her they cannot stop the system, given such powerful patrons.