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Law tackles job discrimination

The legislature yesterday approved an amendment to the Gender Equality Employment Law (性別工作平等法) that bans job discrimination on the basis of sexuality.

The amendment specifically bans employers from limiting a worker's training opportunities, promotions, benefits or salary on the basis of his or her sexual orientation.

Violations are punishable by fines of between NT$100,000 and NT$500,000.

The amendment puts the burden on employers to prove they have not broken the law if an employee reports a violation.

In addition to tightening rules on discrimination, the amendment increases the number of paid-leave days employers must grant to men after their wives have a child.

Men are now entitled to three days leave, rather than two.

Women who have worked at any company for more than one year are entitled to two years of maternity leave under the amendment. The law previously applied only to medium and large firms.

The amendment bans employers from charging employees fees to take maternity leave and from rejecting an employee's request for the maternity leave they are entitled to by law.

The legislature also amended the divorce regulations of the Civil Code yesterday, allowing anyone whose spouse abuses a family member to file for divorce. The amendment also stipulates that anyone abused by a family member of his or her spouse is entitled to a divorce.

Previously, the law stated only that a person abused by his or her spouse or by an elder member of his or her spouse's family may seek divorce.

The amendment was proposed by the Democratic Progressive Party caucus and supported by Judicial Yuan Department of Legal Affairs Director Chang Ching-yun (張清雲) and Judicial Yuan Secretary-General Hsieh Wen-ting (謝文定) at a legislative Judicial Committee review last Thursday.

Meanwhile, an amendment to Article 65 of the Highway Law (公路法) passed the third reading.

The amendment requires bus companies operating on highways or in cities, as well as tour bus companies, to be insured for passenger injuries. Violators will face fines of between NT$100,000 and NT$500,000.

A draft amendment proposed by DPP Legislator Wang To-far (王塗發) and 90 other lawmakers to change vehicle fuel taxes was blocked by the Non-Partisan Solidarity Union.

The fee is levied on cars according to their exhaust volume. The amendment would instead tie the tax to a vehicle's fuel consumption rate.
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