00:00Taiwan's migrant worker system is under debate after U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued
00:05an order blocking imports from the world's leading bike brand, Giant, on suspicion of using forced
00:10labor. The U.S. claims appear to be targeted at conditions for migrant workers, mostly from
00:15Southeast Asia, hired at Giant's Taiwan factories. Migrant worker advocates are celebrating the U.S.
00:21order. We have been waiting for this for a long time, not because we want to attack the industry
00:26in Taiwan. But we know how serious the forced labor condition is. We really hope that this will
00:33lead to a positive change for all the stakeholders in Taiwan. Some in the business community worry the
00:39move signals continued U.S. pressure as Taiwan seeks a deal to lower its U.S. tariffs. Others urge
00:45separating this case from tariff politics and say companies like Giant are taking the right steps.
00:56The U.S. order, known as a withhold release order or WRO, is the first against a Taiwanese company.
01:20But three Taiwanese fishing vessels have also had orders placed against them, in a fishing industry
01:25that has often faced accusations of abuse of migrant workers. And Taiwan is far from alone.
01:31There are currently 53 WROs for entities in 13 countries, including Taiwan. China by far has the
01:37most, with 37 WROs against Chinese entities, plus one fishing vessel. The issue of labor rights is a
01:44recurring topic in Taiwan and in U.S.-Taiwan relations, especially the large recruitment fees that leave
01:50workers in debt and bound to their employers. Giant is actually one of the few companies to have
01:54instituted a policy that would eliminate or pay back such fees to newly hired workers.
01:59But advocates say currently employed workers need the same protections.
02:04Remediation is a very, very important part of this change. All of the current migrants,
02:10they paid before. So if you really want to do some change, you need to refund to them. They need to be
02:15pay back. The most importantly, workers should be centered. It's not the client-centered or brand-centered.
02:22The workers themselves should be centered. They need to participate in the whole process.
02:27Other business leaders say some friction stems from gaps between Taiwan's labor laws and international
02:33standards. And aligning these might lower conflicts between local companies and international customers.
02:39There are some companies who may not be able to help the international companies. They may not be
02:44able to help the international companies. But it is according to our laborers' demand. If you
02:51want to make this law more closely, then it will allow Taiwan's products in the海外. And on the other
03:01part, it can also increase our entire country's behavior. As Giant appeals to the U.S.
03:09order and advocates push for broader reforms, the decision could shape future rules for migrant
03:14workers in Taiwan and influence upcoming trade disputes. Joseph Wu and Chris Gorin for Taiwan Plus.
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