Taitung County cooking contest draws foreign workers from the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam

Ten teams of foreign workers from Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam cooked dishes from home at a Taitung County Government competition on 8 November, which the county paired with reminders on legal hiring and workers' labour rights.

Foreign workers from Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam cooked dishes from home at a cooking competition held by the Taitung County Government on 8 November, according to a county release published by CNA's news-release platform. Ten teams with a total of 40 participants took part, using spices and traditional cooking methods from their home countries.

The competition had chicken, seafood and vegetables as its cooking themes, said Chen Shu-lan (陳淑蘭), head of the county's Social Affairs Department. A panel of professional cooking teachers and food experts scored the dishes on health and nutrition, creativity, taste and food hygiene.

The remaining teams received participation awards, the county said.

Taitung County Magistrate Rao Ching-ling (饒慶鈴) said foreign workers have long worked in family care, industrial production and other sectors, and are important partners in local development, ETtoday reported. The county said it would keep paying attention to foreign workers' labour rights and living needs.

Reminders on legal hiring

The county used the event to promote legal hiring and foreign workers' labour rights. According to ETtoday, the Social Affairs Department reminded employers that under the Employment Service Act they must not hire foreign nationals without a permit, assign them work outside what is permitted, or change their approved workplace or the person they serve without the required approval.

Household caregivers should provide care according to their approved job content, and employers must not require them to work in a shop, restaurant or factory the employer runs, the department said, as reported by ETtoday.

The department also urged residents not to privately hire foreign nationals whose work eligibility has not been confirmed for jobs such as house cleaning, home repairs or moving. ETtoday reported that illegally employing a foreign national can bring a fine of NT$150,000 to NT$750,000, and that employers should pay wages according to the law and the employment contract, arrange proper rest and keep work safe, without improper wage deductions or forced labour.

Employers and residents with questions about hiring eligibility, work permits or labour law can contact the Labour Administration Section of the county's Social Affairs Department on 089-328254, the county said.

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