Workers in the armed forces, civil service and the education sector will be able to establish or join unions legally for the first time in Taiwan's history if draft revisions to the Labor Union Law, completed by the government's Council of Labor Affairs (
The formation of and membership of unions by workers in these three sectors has been illegal since 1929. Local labor unions had objected to the ban, citing the constitutional right of freedom of association and assembly.
After completion of the draft revisions yesterday, Lin Huei-kwung (林惠官), president of the Chinese Federation of Labor (全國總工會), described the proposal to lift the ban as "the only appeal accepted by labor administrators."
As a member of the law-revising group set up by the CLA to revise Taiwan's labor laws, Lin expressed his dissatisfaction, however.
"We made lots of proposals to replace the outdated stipulations, but only the scrapping of the prohibition against establishing or joining unions was approved," Lin said.
The unions had also hoped to establish a universal right to strike, and to make membership of a trade union compulsory for workers.
Lin added that they would continue to lobby on these issues when the draft was submitted to the Legislative Yuan.
Yesterday's draft revisions included three amendments to the Labor Union Law (
The most controversial aspect of the so-called "three labor law statutes" is the right to strike.
The revised Labor Dispute Law allows workers to take action -- including strikes -- in all sectors except for power and water utilities and air traffic control.
In addition, medical care, telecoms, public transportation, public sanitation, oil refinery and fuel industry workers are permitted to strike after a "30-day cooling off period."
Chang Feng-yi (張烽益), secretary-general of the Taiwan Labor Front (台灣勞工陣線), said that there was still some room for loosening the restrictions against strikes.
"For example, if we keep the emergency rooms and operating theaters running, should strikes in other departments of hospitals still not be allowed?" Chang asked. He conceded, however, the need to "strike a balance between the interests of society and laborers' rights".
Meanwhile, Hung Jui-ching (洪瑞清), director of the CLA's labor relations department, said yesterday that the draft proposals had to take account the rights of industry and government administrators, as well as those of laborers.
"We've done a lot to protect laborers in these three laws," said Hung, noting that the new revisions would outlaw so-called "inappropriate treatment of workers."
Under this new provision, employers will be barred from transferring employees, cutting salaries, or practicing other unfair treatment just because workers are members of unions.
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