Workers at the Taichung Bus Co went on strike yesterday to protest wage reductions which took place in August and last month. But management was firm in its resolve to stick with the cutbacks.
"We [Taichung Bus] and the labor union signed an agreement in August this year stating that the wages will be distributed according to monthly revenues, and this agreement will be valid till January next year," said an officer at Taichung Bus who gave only his surname, Lee.
"Therefore, by asking for monthly salaries instead of adjusted wages at this point is a violation of our agreement," Lee said.
Taichung Bus provides public transit services in Taichung City and Taichung County.
According to the information provided by the company, since the revenues in August did not reach NT$700,000, a 30 percent decrease in wages was executed.
When the revenue in September did not reach NT$800,000, wages were decrease by 25 percent
The strike has caused some inconvenience, but has not had a great impact on commuters.
"Although Taichung Bus covers 12 routes within the city and 43 routes on the highways, Taichung City's traffic has not been much affected by this strike," said Chen Wen-cheng (陳文政), an officer at the city's Public Transportation Department.
According to Chen, Taichung Bus' drivers staged a similar strike in July and therefore preparatory measures were taken ahead of the second strike.
"Taichung Bus has asked about 30 temporary drivers to keep the routes going within the city and on the highways. Furthermore, several other bus companies have been providing assistance to cover routes that Taichung Bus was responsible for," Liao said.
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