Maximum brokerage fee set at NT$15,840 for each foreign worker

Taipei, Dec. 18, 2003 (CENS)--To clearly define the cost of foreign labor employment services, the Cabinet-level Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) has approved a set of payable service items and standards for commission or brokerage fee collection by private employment service units, to be effective early next year.

Based on the standards, labor brokers can charge a maximum brokerage fee of NT$15,840 (US$465.88 at US$1 = NT$34) from employers for each foreign worker introduced and an additional service fee of NT$2,000 (US$58.8) per year. Accordingly, if a domestic employer hires a foreign worker for three years through a labor broker, the employer has to pay the broker a total of NT$21,840 (US$642.35).


Meanwhile, the service fee charged from foreign workers by labor brokerage firms will remain unchanged at the current levels--NT$1,800 (US$52.94) per month for the first year, NT$1,700 (US$50) for the second, and NT$1,500 (US$44.12) for the third.

In case any foreign worker has worked in Taiwan for more than two years before returning home due to employment expiration, his or her monthly payment to the broker should not be over NT$1,500 (US$44.12) if he or she comes back to Taiwan to work for the same employer.

The statistics released by CLA showed that the average monthly wage of foreign laborers in Taiwan stood at NT$20,536 (US$604) in 2002, up NT$1,034 (US$30.4) or 5.3% from a year earlier and reaching about 80% of that of domestic workers. Of the total wage, regular salary accounted for NT$16,353 (US$480.97), overtime pay NT$3,830 (US$112.65) and others NT$353 (US$10.38).

Last year the average monthly wage of foreign workers in the manufacturing industry stood at NT$20,561 (US$604.74), 83.9% of the corresponding figure posted by domestic workers and up NT$1,065 (US$31.32) or 5.5% from 2001. CLA predicted the average wage of foreign laborers to rise further this year.