Chairwoman of the Council of Labor Affairs Chen Chu (陳菊) announced subsidy initiatives yesterday to make it easier for traditional industries to recruit local laborers.
Chen said the CLA will encourage unemployed laborers to work in traditional industries by subsidizing their salaries by NT$10,000 a month. Moreover, the council plans to provide monthly subsidies, ranging from NT$5,000 to NT$7,500, to traditional industries which employ aboriginal, middle-aged, or older-aged laborers, she said.
The plans are part of the government's recent measures to boost Taiwan's economy and are aimed at helping the traditional industries. Chen announced the measures at a meeting with DPP legislative caucus yesterday.
While the CLA's policy of cutting the number of foreign laborers has been widely criticized by labor-intensive traditional industries, Chen insisted yesterday the policy will remain unchanged.
She said the government's policy is to have the local workforce fully employed before implementing other alternatives, such as the use of foreign laborers. Taiwan's aborigines, in particular, have high levels of unemployment and may well serve the industries' demand for laborers, she said.
According to the CLA's plans, unemployed laborers, if opting to work in a traditional industry, will receive a monthly subsidy of NT$10,000 from the government.
The CLA will decide whether to continue the subsidy initiative one year after it is implemented.
Furthermore, the government is to encourage traditional industries to employ middle-aged and old-aged laborers by providing NT$5,000 for each of these employees per month. As well, each aboriginal laborer employed will be subsidized by between NT$5,000 and NT$7,500.
Apart from the subsidy plans, the CLA chairwoman also addressed the reduction of the workweek, which has invoked intense debate since its passage by the legislature in mid-June.
On June 17, the legislature passed an amendment to reduce working hours, from the current 48 hours a week, to 84 hours every two weeks, beginning on Jan. 1, 2001.
Industries have protested the change and vigorously lobbied to have the amendment overturned, or to at least be allowed the flexibility to arrange man-hours according to production cycles.
In view of strong protests from industrial leaders, the CLA is seeking adjustments that would allow companies some flexibility without infringing on labor rights. It is planning to allow employers to arrange man-hours for eight-week periods at the most.
Labor groups have condemned the flexitime proposal and say the measures would allow employers to enforce extended working hours, which could put laborers under extreme stress and deprive them of overtime pay during extended shifts.
Chen restated the eight-week flexitime plan yesterday, but added the employer would have to allow employees at least one day off every week. Moreover, Chen said the CLA will lift the existing ban on women laborers working at night, between 10:00pm and 6:00am, on conditions that employers provide them with accommodation or transportation.
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