The Cabinet yesterday passed amendments to the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法) proposed by the Ministry of Labor, which would introduce “one fixed day off and one flexible rest day” — or yili yixiu (一例一休) — as two weekly days off to guarantee the realization of the 40--hour work week policy, while canceling seven days off for national holidays.
“With efforts from the Ministry of Labor, Executive Yuan staff and the Democratic Progressive Party [DPP] caucus, we have finally produced this version [of amendments]. Despite all the difficulties, it is a more feasible version that would lead to as little conflict as possible,” Premier Lin Chuan (林全) was quoted as saying by Cabinet spokesman Tung Chen-yuan (童振源) in a post-meeting news conference. “However, there are still differences of opinion, and we need to continue to communicate with the public.”
According to the ministry’s proposed amendments, employers may ask employees to work on their “fixed day off” only in the event of a natural disaster or emergency, and would have to compensate employees with double salary for the day plus an additional day off to make up for it.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
Regarding the “flexible rest day,” employers may ask employees to work after obtaining their consent, but are obligated to provide additional pay, ranging from one and one-third to one and two-thirds times the worker’s basic salary.
However, employees would not get an extra day off if they work on a “flexible rest day.”
Moreover, the proposal would also cancel seven holidays for workers to make all workers, including civil servants, enjoy the same number of national holidays.
The Cabinet’s final amendment proposals drew fire from both labor rights advocates and businesses.
Labor rights activists have been calling for two fixed days off per week and to keep the seven national holidays, while businesses have complained about the high overtime pay they have to offer employees to have them work on a “flexible rest day.”
The seven holidays that the ministry proposed to cancel were also a point of dispute as the government has revised its stance about whether to keep the holidays several times, and has been accused by labor activists of breaking its promise.
Separately, DPP caucus chief executive Wu Ping-jui (吳秉叡) said after a lunch meeting with the premier that the caucus would seek to pass the amendments in September.
“The premier would like the amendments to be passed as soon as possible, so that businesses can more accurately calculate their costs,” Wu said.
He said that not all caucus members supported the proposals, but added that working conditions would improve with the amendments, as they would require employers to provide more overtime pay and obtain consent from their employees to have them work on their rest days.
LONG FLIGHT: The jets would be flown by US pilots, with Taiwanese copilots in the two-seat F-16D variant to help familiarize them with the aircraft, the source said The US is expected to fly 10 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 70/72 jets to Taiwan over the coming months to fulfill a long-awaited order of 66 aircraft, a defense official said yesterday. Word that the first batch of the jets would be delivered soon was welcome news to Taiwan, which has become concerned about delays in the delivery of US arms amid rising military tensions with China. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the initial tranche of the nation’s F-16s are rolling off assembly lines in the US and would be flown under their own power to Taiwan by way
‘OF COURSE A COUNTRY’: The president outlined that Taiwan has all the necessary features of a nation, including citizens, land, government and sovereignty President William Lai (賴清德) discussed the meaning of “nation” during a speech in New Taipei City last night, emphasizing that Taiwan is a country as he condemned China’s misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758. The speech was the first in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. It is the responsibility of Taiwanese citizens to stand united to defend their national sovereignty, democracy, liberty, way of life and the future of the next generation, Lai said. This is the most important legacy the people of this era could pass on to future generations, he said. Lai went on to discuss
OBJECTS AT SEA: Satellites with synthetic-aperture radar could aid in the detection of small Chinese boats attempting to illegally enter Taiwan, the space agency head said Taiwan aims to send the nation’s first low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite into space in 2027, while the first Formosat-8 and Formosat-9 spacecraft are to be launched in October and 2028 respectively, the National Science and Technology Council said yesterday. The council laid out its space development plan in a report reviewed by members of the legislature’s Education and Culture Committee. Six LEO satellites would be produced in the initial phase, with the first one, the B5G-1A, scheduled to be launched in 2027, the council said in the report. Regarding the second satellite, the B5G-1B, the government plans to work with private contractors
MISSION: The Indo-Pacific region is ‘the priority theater,’ where the task of deterrence extends across the entire region, including Taiwan, the US Pacific Fleet commander said The US Navy’s “mission of deterrence” in the Indo-Pacific theater applies to Taiwan, Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen Koehler told the South China Sea Conference on Tuesday. The conference, organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), is an international platform for senior officials and experts from countries with security interests in the region. “The Pacific Fleet’s mission is to deter aggression across the Western Pacific, together with our allies and partners, and to prevail in combat if necessary, Koehler said in the event’s keynote speech. “That mission of deterrence applies regionwide — including the South China Sea and Taiwan,” he
RSS