Labor activists expressed concern yesterday that revised regulations on working hours and nighttime work for women would result in poorer working conditions yesterday.
The Council of Labor Affairs concluded drafting amendments to labor laws on Monday, to put into effect proposals adopted by the Economic Development Advisory Conference's plenary session last weekend.
In accordance with conference resolutions, the council's draft says that if a worker has a day off every week and does not work more than 12 hours a day, his total annual work hours may be compressed into peak periods when the employer needs intensive labor. In order to proceed with a compressed schedule, a company must obtain an agreement from its union or a majority of its workers.
Overtime should be paid if the employee works over 48 hours a week. The compensation for such extreme flexibility on work hours is that workers will enjoy a reduction in total annual work hours, which will be calculated on the basis of an average 40-hour week, rather than the 84-hour fortnight.
But labor activists object.
"The conference's consensus gave too much power to employers," said Tang Shu (唐曙) from the Labor Rights Association, who strongly opposes allowing employers to further erode the 84-work-hours-per-fortnight stipulated by law.
"Longer work hours and insufficient rest leads to higher risk of occupational accidents," said Chuang Miao-tze (莊妙慈), secretary-general of the Committee for Action for Labor Legislation. "Besides, Taiwan's unions are simply too weak to negotiate with employers."
Labor activists said employees without a union will be forced to agree with the employer's decision.
Not all workers are able to belong to unions. The Labor Union Law says companies with over 30 employees are obliged to have unions.
Only 39 percent of local businesses have unions, said Yang Shi-shang (
Moreover, Pai Cheng-hsieng (白政憲), a labor activist and one of the few labor participants at the conference, said employers oppress unions and "punish" employees who form them.
Labor activists said workers would be forced to accept the proposed arrangement, which would have a negative impact on family life, especially since the Executive Yuan -- though not yet the Legislative Yuan -- has approved an amendment to the Union Law, which grants workers the right to choose whether to join the company's union.
Current regulations stipulate that workers are obliged to join the union if the company has one.
Chuang said he is afraid that workers would fear employers' retaliation for union membership.
In addition, some labor activists are upset over the draft law's relaxation of restrictions preventing females from working between 10pm and 6am, except in certain industries.
The draft simply stipulates that pregnant women and women nursing babies will not be allowed to work between those hours.
Labor activists said the change simply allows employers to exploit cheap labor, although some female activists welcomed it as the current restriction prevents women from being accepted for night-shift work.
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