Disabled employment rules introduced in Taiwan

8th July 2009

A set of new rules regarding the employment of disabled individuals will provide them with more jobs, Taiwan's Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) minister Wang Ju-hsuan has stated.

An extra 4,400 people with disabilities will be able to secure work through the legislation, which is due to take effect on July 11th, Taiwan News reports.

Speaking at a visit to a Taipei 7-eleven that employs a number of people with disabilities she said: "fifty-thousand mentally or physically [disabled] people are employed [in the public and private sector]."

Once the changes are implemented, any organisation in the public sector that has more than 34 workers must have at least three per cent of positions filled by disabled employees.

Private enterprises will be required to incorporate one per cent of their workforce with disabled people if they have more than 67 employees.

Earlier this month, IRIN reported that Myanmar is moving closer to incorporating more human rights legislation with the opening of a new non-governmental agency aimed at raising disability awareness in the region.