Petiton for the Protection of Migrant Workers in the Taiwan Area

We, the undersigned organizations, institutions, churches and individuals appeal to the Director General Juan Somaviaf of the International Labour Organization to immediately take appropriate actions to investigate the cause of the most recent violent riot by ethnic, migrant workers that erupted late on Sunday August 21, 2005 by more than 1,600 migrant workers building a mass transit railway project in Kaohsiung Taiwan.

We demand that former Council of Labor Affairs Chairwoman Chen Chu (陳菊) be prosecuted for her gross dereliction of her duties and corruption. Specifically to timely investigate and provide appropriate assistance to the hundreds of thousands of migrant workers currently in the Taiwan area.

We are appealing to the Director General Juan Somaviaf of the International Labour Organization to investigate the current maltreatment of migrant workers in the Taiwan area and to refer said findings to the International Court of Justice.

We call for the formation of an independent oversight institution composed of migrant workers in the Taiwan area to take positive actions to prevent further violence as well as extend free, timely, appropriate and full assistance to all distressed migrant workers.

Labor standards for migrant workers in the Taiwan area fall below the
minimum standards of basic labor rights in terms of freedom of association, the right to organize, collective bargaining, equality of opportunity and treatment, housing, facilities for recreation, cultural expression and other standards regulating conditions across the entire spectrum of work related issues.

We seek the promotion of social justice and internationally recognized human and labor rights for all migrants in the Taiwan area. The decision to migrate, in the same way as the decision to authorize or not to authorize migration for employment is an rational decision, based on knowledge of the conditions of work and life in the areas of employment and is needed to remedy general or sectoral labor shortages.

Provisions for the protection of migrant workers do, themselves, have effects on the protection of the entire workforce.

We demand protection for migrant workers, against exploitation and stipulating first and foremost the principle of equality of treatment, followed by equality of opportunity and treatment with non migrant workers.

The powers that be, in the Taiwan area fail to implement instruments and fulfill their obligation to apply, without discrimination in respect of nationality, race, religion or sex, to immigrants lawfully within Taiwan area.

We demand the protection of human rights for all migrant workers and an end to state sponsored discrimination, contemporary forms of slavery, indentured servitude and forced labor in the Taiwan area.

Director General, the time to act is now. Migrants' rights are human rights!