TAIWAN FIRM HIT FOR FORCING MIGRANT WORKERS BACK TO ITS DORMS

Taiwan's ASE Group has come under fire as foreign media reported on Friday that the IC packaging and testing firm had ordered migrant workers at its Taoyuan factory to return to company dormitories or face penalties, Yeh Chen and Teng Pei-ju reported for the Central News Agency (CNA).

ASE has forced its migrant workers in Taoyuan who have rented private apartments to return immediately to dormitories designated by the company, British newspaper The Guardian reported.

In a notice addressing its workers, ASE said those who refuse to abide by the new policy will be given "a major demerit" and three demerits are punishable by dismissal, the report said.

The company also reportedly forbids workers from leaving the dormitories except to travel to and from work.

This follows a confirmed COVID-19 case at an ASE factory in Taoyuan's Zhongli District on May 27, which the company said at the time had not affected its operations.

Recently, factories and local governments have been on high alert after a number of cluster infections involving migrant workers were reported in Miaoli County.

Miaoli county government imposed similar restrictions on the movements of migrant workers following an uptick in confirmed cases, which climbed to 375 on Saturday, but it has since been accused of discrimination, as those restrictions do not apply to Taiwanese nationals.

Asked to comment on the ASE case during a Facebook live streaming session on Saturday, Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan said it would be against regulations to give such demerits to migrant workers.

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