Regulations for the Minimum Standards of Seafarer Wages, On-Shore Charges, and Overtime Charges Article 4

When employers contract seafarers from the R.O.C., such seafarers shall be assigned actual work aboard a vessel within one month of signing the employment contract. In this period, seafarers cannot transfer to the ship of another employer without permission from the original employer. However, this requirement is exempt if both sides reach an agreement and any on-shore charges that had already been paid are returned by the seafarer.While seafarers are receiving on-shore charges, if they do not report to the ship on the specified date or refuse to board the ship after receiving an official notification from the employer, the employer can discontinue payment of the seafarers’ on-shore charges, and said seafarers are required to return any previous on-shore charges that they have received.If seafarers do not receive their on-shore charges on the date specified in the employment contract, such seafarers shall immediately request a transfer to another employer’s ship. The original employer may not demand compensation and shall not confiscate any certification. The original employer shall also pay any unpaid on-shore charges.