Thousands of people yesterday took to the streets of Taipei to mark Workers’ Day, demanding that the government protect workers’ rights, while criticizing the incoming Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration’s plans to continue labor policies that the protesters said have worsened working conditions.
The “Fight for Workers’ Rights and Protection” march was joined by an estimated 15,000 protesters, organizers said, starting in front of DPP headquarters and moving to the Legislative Yuan and Ketagalan Boulevard.
Marchers set off firecrackers in front of the Presidential Office Building in a symbolic gesture to “declare war” on the government, saying there would be no honeymoon period for the new Cabinet, calling on it to immediately address labor issues that they said were born of pro-business policies.
Photo: Huang Pang-ping, Taipei Times
Unions issued nine demands: reduced working hours and designated national holidays for workers; no reduction of pensions; an end to atypical employment; a minimum-wage increase; protection of workers’ rights to set up unions, negotiate with employers and organize strikes; address understaffing and overwork issues; an improved public long-term care system; prohibition of mergers between private and public banks to protect public assets; and nationalized education.
“We are at the DPP headquarters today because [president-elect] Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) policies regarding workers’ rights and social welfare are obscure, and her policies could be a continuance of current rules, which have led to loose labor practices,” Hsinchu Confederation of Trade Unions director Chan Su-chen (詹素貞) said.
“Demands put forward by workers’ unions have been consistent over the past 10 years, because administrations, including those of former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), as well as Tsai’s incoming team, have been or will be attempting to enact contract employment regulations, which would only legalize and increase atypical employment and poverty,” Tainan Confederation of Trade Unions secretary-general Huang Yu-te (黃育德) said.
Photo: Huang Pang-ping, Taipei Times
“The government should investigate contract worker rates and the need for contract employment in a businesses, while the government should phase out contract employment and help contract workers become regular employees,” Taiwan Confederation of Trade Unions director-general Chuang Chueh-an (莊爵安) said.
Chuang said Tsai pledged to establish a minimum-wage law while on the campaign trail, but the former DPP administration only raised the minimum wage once in Chen’s eight-year presidency.
Tsai should immediately increase the minimum wage when she takes office, instead of delaying the move with a prolonged legislation process, Chuang said.
Tsai promised to visit people from all walks of life if she won, but she never visited workers’ groups, Chuang said, urging Tsai to do so and put a stop to the Ministry of Labor’s plan to reduce the number of national holidays by seven.
“All pension reform proposals put forward by different administrations have aimed to extend the retirement age and ask workers to pay more but receive less in pensions, which we do not accept because the so-called reforms are made at the expense of workers. The government should tax large businesses to fund pensions,” he said.
There are 800,000 people with chronic illness or disability who need long-term care, but only about 10 percent of them are covered by the government system, while 90 percent are taken care of by their families or migrant workers, which amounts to the government shifting social responsibility to the public, the groups said.
Tsai’s policy to expand public long-term care is to be financed by tax revenue, but the proposed budget, NT$40 billion (US$1.24 billion), is barely enough, while the DPP has failed to clarify key issues, including where to recruit carers and how to improve their working conditions, the groups said.
Seperately, Tsai posted a photograph on Facebook reiterating her labor policies, which include raising wages; reducing working hours; protecting atypical workers; supporting employment of young, middle-aged and elderly people; giving special care to people involved in workplace accidents; and encouraging unions.
DETERRENCE: With 1,000 indigenous Hsiung Feng II and III missiles and 400 Harpoon missiles, the nation would boast the highest anti-ship missile density in the world With Taiwan wrapping up mass production of Hsiung Feng II and III missiles by December and an influx of Harpoon missiles from the US, Taiwan would have the highest density of anti-ship missiles in the world, a source said yesterday. Taiwan is to wrap up mass production of the indigenous anti-ship missiles by the end of year, as the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology has been meeting production targets ahead of schedule, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said. Combined with the 400 Harpoon anti-ship missiles Taiwan expects to receive from the US by 2028, the nation would have
North Korea yesterday fired about 10 ballistic missiles to the sea toward Japan, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, days after Pyongyang warned of “terrible consequences” over ongoing South Korea-US military drills. Pyongyang recently dashed hopes of a diplomatic thaw with Seoul, Washington’s security ally, describing its latest peace efforts as a “clumsy, deceptive farce.” Seoul’s military detected “around 10 ballistic missiles launched from the Sunan area in North Korea toward the East Sea [Sea of Japan] at around 1:20pm,” JCS said in a statement, referring to South Korea’s name for the body of water. The missiles
‘UNWAVERING FRIENDSHIP’: A representative of a Japanese group that co-organized a memorial, said he hopes Japanese never forget Taiwan’s kindness President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday marked the 15th anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, urging continued cooperation between Taiwan and Japan on disaster prevention and humanitarian assistance. Lai wrote on social media that Taiwan and Japan have always helped each other in the aftermath of major disasters. The magnitude 9 earthquake struck northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011, triggering a massive tsunami that claimed more than 19,000 lives, according to data from Japanese authorities. Following the disaster, Taiwan donated more than US$240 million in aid, making it one of the largest contributors of financial assistance to Japan. In addition to cash donations and
North Korea tested nuclear-capable rocket launchers, state media reported yesterday, a day after Seoul detected the launch of about 10 ballistic missiles. The test comes after South Korean and US forces launched their springtime military drills, due to run until Thursday. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Saturday oversaw the testing of the multiple rocket launcher system (MRLS), the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The test involved 12 600mm-caliber ultra-precision multiple rocket launchers and two artillery companies, it said. Kim said the drill gave Pyongyang’s enemies, within the 420km striking range, a sense of “uneasiness” and “a deep understanding
RSS