Chen continues workweek fight

Although the legislature has already approved the 84-hour working fortnight, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday held a breakfast meeting with the nation's industry leaders to call for their assistance to convince legislators to think again about the measure.

He also said that the government's first priority is to stimulate the economy. According to Chen, the government's current focus is on economic revival through both short- and long-term means. Chen also said that now is not a time for political bickering between the ruling and opposition parties, nor a time for "artificially provoked" management-labor confrontations.

The meeting -- initiated by the Chinese National Association of Industry and Commerce (中華民國工商協進會) -- was jointly held by 16 industry heavyweights of the association, including United Microelectronics Corp's (聯華電子) president Morris Chang (張忠謀), Acer Computer (宏電) CEO Stan Shih (施振榮) and Kenneth Yan (嚴凱泰), vice chairman and president of Yulon Motor Co (裕隆汽車). Accompanied by Vice Premier Lai In-jaw (賴英照), Governor of Central Bank of China Perng Fai-nan (彭懷南), Minister of Finance Yen Ching-chang (顏慶章), Minister of Economic Affairs Lin Hsin-yi (林信義), and chairman of the Council for Economic Planning and Development Chen Po-chih (陳博志), Chen said yesterday that the workweek policy, passed by the Legislative Yuan, will seriously harm Taiwan's industry.

According to Chen, as the nation faces an exodus of local industries, a rising unemployment rate, and a dismal stock market whose total capitalization is down by over 45 percent since May, the 84-hour working fortnight plan as approved by the legislature is not acceptable.

Chen also told the industry leaders that "the country belongs to everyone, and the economy is even more nonpartisan," adding that he will place the elimination of obstacles stemming from "non-economic factors" as his personal top priority.

Chen went on to urge industry leaders to use their influence and take on the role of serving as "bridges of communication" to assist him in resolving the differences between his DPP minority government and the opposition alliance of the KMT, the People Furst Party and the New Party.

"Just as the government is doing, industry should also try its best to change opposition legislators' minds," he said.

From the government's point of view, Chen continued, to revitalize the economy for the sake of responding to the impact of globalization and the trend toward a "knowledge economy" (知識經濟) requires a two-pronged course of action that includes short-term measures to stimulate the market and long-term policies to bolster the market.

Chen added that although long-term measures will be beneficial to the economy as a whole, they might have certain adverse effects on individual companies or industries.

In response to Chen's speech, the industry leaders said that they will continue to fight for the 44-hour workweek policy. They are also planning to promote a more flexible labor-capital negotiation by amending the law.

"Different industries need to have different workweek plans and wage standards, according to their needs," the industry leaders stressed.