Scuffles broke out among lawmakers yesterday at a meeting of the legislature’s Economics Committee and Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee, as they began reviewing proposed amendments to the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法).
The review, which was scheduled to start at 9am, did not begin until after 11am. Later, a motion to extend the review to midnight was passed.
New Power Party (NPP) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers tried to boycott the review by disputing the time limit for each lawmaker’s speech, but dissenters were forcibly carried away from the podium by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
DPP Legislator Lin Shu-fen (林淑芬) tendered a motion to amend articles 32, 34 and 36 of the act.
The Cabinet’s draft bill would amend Article 32 to cap an employee’s working hours at 138 hours every three months, while Lin proposed that it be changed to 138 hours for three “consecutive” months.
As for Article 34, the Cabinet’s version would require at least 11 hours of rest between shifts, which could be shortened to eight hours if employers and employees reach a consensus.
Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times
While the Cabinet plans to loosen the “one rest day” rule by amending Article 36, Lin proposed maintaining the version that was passed in December last year.
A motion tendered by DPP Legislator Chiu Chih-wei (邱志偉) to limit each lawmaker’s speech to six minutes — four plus two — was passed with the support of DPP lawmakers.
Opposition parties continued to try to delay the review by extending their speeches as long as possible, while disputing the time limit.
Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times
The ruling party should have stuck to its past position, NPP Legislator Kawlo Iyun Pacidal said, citing a protest in 2014 by DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) against the three-minute time limit during a legislative review of a draft of the special regulations for free economic pilot zones (自由經濟示範區特別條例).
DPP lawmakers are replicating the political injustices that were ruled out by the nation’s voters, NPP caucus convener Hsu Yung-ming (徐永明) said.
Amid intermittent scuffles between legislators of various parties, DPP Legislator Lin Ching-yi (林靜儀), who chaired the meeting, ordered an end to discussions on articles 24 and 32, and pushed them to a cross-caucus negotiation.
Photo: CNA
Meanwhile, hundreds of people gathered outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei to protest against the Cabinet’s draft amendment.
Barricades were on Sunday placed outside the legislative compound, while about 700 police officers were deployed to block off the area and form a human wall in front of protesters on Jinan Road.
At 11am, protesters tried to storm the compound, hurled eggs at the legislative building and scuffled with police, while clashes broke out as a result of two failed attempts to breach the police cordon.
The protest was still ongoing as of press time last night.
Additional reporting by CNA
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-Wong tomorrow, which it said would possibly make landfall near central Taiwan. As of 2am yesterday, Fung-Wong was about 1,760km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving west-northwest at 26kph. It is forecast to reach Luzon in the northern Philippines by tomorrow, the CWA said. After entering the South China Sea, Typhoon Fung-Wong is likely to turn northward toward Taiwan, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said, adding that it would likely make landfall near central Taiwan. The CWA expects to issue a land
Taiwan’s exports soared to an all-time high of US$61.8 billion last month, surging 49.7 percent from a year earlier, as the global frenzy for artificial intelligence (AI) applications and new consumer electronics powered shipments of high-tech goods, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. It was the first time exports had exceeded the US$60 billion mark, fueled by the global boom in AI development that has significantly boosted Taiwanese companies across the international supply chain, Department of Statistics Director-General Beatrice Tsai (蔡美娜) told a media briefing. “There is a consensus among major AI players that the upcycle is still in its early stage,”
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it is expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong this afternoon and a land warning tomorrow. As of 1pm, the storm was about 1,070km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, and was moving west-northwest at 28 to 32kph, according to CWA data. The storm had a radius of 250km, with maximum sustained winds of 173kph and gusts reaching 209kph, the CWA added. The storm is forecast to pass near Luzon in the Philippines before entering the South China Sea and potentially turning northward toward Taiwan, the CWA said. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi yesterday said that China using armed force against Taiwan could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, allowing the country to mobilize the Japanese armed forces under its security laws. Takaichi made the remarks during a parliamentary session while responding to a question about whether a "Taiwan contingency" involving a Chinese naval blockade would qualify as a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, according to a report by Japan’s Asahi Shimbun. "If warships are used and other armed actions are involved, I believe this could constitute a survival-threatening situation," Takaichi was quoted as saying in the report. Under Japan’s security legislation,
RSS