Draft bill angers organized labor

The Chinese Federation of Labor protests draft legislation yesterday. PHOTO: CHU FEI-HSIUNG, TAIPEI TIMES

Proposed changes will deprive workers of the rights, labor leaders said yesterday.

The Cabinet has presented to the legislature a draft of the Labor Three Law (勞動三法), which would add restrictions on the forming of labor unions.

"Once the Cabinet's draft has cleared the Legislative Yuan, there will be more restrictions on workers. Teachers, civil servants and those in state-run enterprises will be barred from forming unions," said Lu Tien-lin (盧天麟), president of the Taiwan Confederation of Trade Unions.

People in the areas of national defense, utilities and air-traffic control would be denied the right to strike under the proposed law. Workers in telecommunications, transportation, public health, refineries, hospitals and energy would have to go through a 30-day cooling-off period before going on strike.

Leaders workers in the airline industry, energy sector, national defense and education held a press conference yesterday to denounce the draft.

Teachers planned changes to the Labor Union Law (工會法), which state that public school teachers are subject to other legal regulations if they plan to form labor unions, are a violation of human rights.

"Only recently when the National Teachers Union (全國教師工會) joined an international teachers' organization did we realize that Taiwan is the only country to obstruct teachers from forming labor unions," said Chang Chuo-chin (張焯青), secretary-general of the teachers union.

The union cited a UN statement that says "everyone has the right to form a union or join a union" to argue that teachers in Taiwan should have equal rights, and questioned the government's claim that the country is rooted in democratic values and human rights.

People First Party Legislator Lin Hui-kuan (林惠官) said the government's attempt to deprive workers of their rights is a symbol of democratic regression.

"In 2000, in his labor policy proposal, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) proposed that, other than full-time military personnel, employees of all other occupations may form labor unions. The Cabinet and the Council of Labor Affairs, however, are going against the international trend and democratic ideology to deprive workers of their rights," Lin said.

Labor may have to seek international aid if the legislature passes the Cabinet's draft, Lin added.

Second of the bill, a strong indicator of whether it will be passed into law, is scheduled for today in the legislature.