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CLA needs new rules: protesters

Protesters rallied outside the Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) yesterday morning to demand that the council list depression as an occupationally induced illness.

Among the speakers at the demonstration, organized by the Taiwan Association for Victims of Occupation Injuries (TAVOI), was Chen Chiao-lian (陳巧蓮), who used to work for a local circuit board manufacturing company. Two years ago, the company decided to promote her to the position of team leader.

After a disagreement with her supervisor, Chen was removed from the post and transferred to a different team.

She said that her new supervisor had often mocked her, calling her "useless trash."

Later, Chen was diagnosed with work-related depression and was unable to keep hold of her job.

She applied for compensation from the labor insurance scheme, but was turned down because she was told that depression was not legally recognized as an occupational illness.

TAVOI secretary-general Huang Hsiao-ling (黃小陵) said the association has handled between 20 and 30 cases this year in which individuals have suffered from psychological illnesses because of various situations that have occurred at the work place.

The association has also been providing counseling services to many victims of post-traumatic stress syndrome brought on by occupational illnesses.

Huang said that Japan listed suicide caused by work-related factors as an occupational illness in 1999.

Between 2002 and 2003, the Japanese government has officially recognized 46 cases in which individuals became depressed because of factors related to work, Huang said.

"It's time for the CLA to reconsider its definitions of occupational illnesses to include any psychological illness induced by work," she said. "They should also review the mechanism currently used to determine what qualifies as an occupational illness."

In response, the council said yesterday that it was willing to re-evaluate the types of occupational illness listed in the Labor Insurance Act (勞工保險條例), adding that professionals would need to ascertain whether or not employees actually became ill because of their jobs.
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