Thousands of plastic-industry workers are expected to demonstrate in Taipei today to fight against a restrictive environmental policy that they claim has breached their right to work.
Yesterday, dozens of unemployed demonstrators protested in front of the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) in a warm up for today's rally, which will focus on the government's intention to limit the use of plastic bags and utensils.
Chang Wen-wei (張文緯), representative of unemployed plastic industry workers, said that the demonstration aims to highlight the government's short-sightedness.
"We support environmental protection but refuse to become victims of the implementation of an irresponsible policy like this," Chang said.
Chang said that the government is acting too quickly because the implementation of the policy would lead to the loss of 50,000 jobs.
Protesters called for a five-year delay of the policy in order to ensure workers' rights.
The first stage of the controversial policy was launched on July 1, when all government-run stores were banned from providing free plastic shopping bags to customers. Three months later, the ban on disposable utensils and food containers was imposed at government-operated grocery stores and restaurants.
The second stage of the policy will begin on Jan. 1. Places affected will include department stores, supermarkets, convenience stores, fast-food restaurants and almost every type of retailer, except street vendors.
Peng Li-tsai (彭理才), manager of Cheng Fong Plastics, told the Taipei Times that, like many others in the business, the company had visited China several times in a bid to move production.
Since July, Peng said, more than 200 firms had gathered information about moving to China.
"The policy is actually a social disturbance," Peng said.
According to Hsieh Sheng-hai (謝勝海), secretary-general of Taiwan Plastics Industry Association, more than 10 major manu-facturers of disposable dining utensils have closed since July, leaving more than 1,000 workers unemployed.
"The EPA's insistence on the implementation of the policy will become the driving force that pushes us to move firms to China," Hsieh said.
He added that even more firms will move out of Taiwan next year if the second stage of the policy is imposed on schedule.
"Representatives of more than 300 firms in the plastic industry discussed an idea of visiting China together early next year look for opportunities," Hsieh said.
Chen Hsiung-wen (陳雄文), director-general of the EPA's Bureau of Solid Waste Management, said that it was impossible to postpone the policy.
"The EPA will spend NT$240 million next year on creating 2,400 jobs for workers who originally worked for plastic firms," Chen said.
He added that statistics from the Industrial Technology Research Institute show that total annual sales of plastic bags and utensils last year was NT$5.5 billion and only about 30 percent of it would be affected.
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