Cabinet passes labor law changes

The Executive Yuan yesterday approved amendments to the Labor Insurance Law (勞工保險條例) extending maternity leave to three months and raising the maximum mandatory labor insurance age from 60 years to 65 years.

"The details of these amendments were decided upon after cross-party talks during the last session of the legislature," Council of Labor Affairs Chairman Lu Tien-lin (盧天麟) said. "Because of the high degree of consensus on these issues, the amendments will be prioritized in this legislative session so that workers can start benefiting from the changes."

The amendments are meant to accommodate changes in social structures, the council said in a press release yesterday. As the population ages and an increasing number of senior citizens choose not to retire, it has become necessary to raise the maximum mandatory labor insurance age from 60 to 65.

In addition, the amendments would allow those above 65 who want to continue working to apply for secondary labor insurance even after they have started receiving their pensions.

The amendments also increase benefits to encourage couples to have children, as the nation's birthrate continues to drop. Maternity benefits, which are set at one month's salary, would be raised to three months. In addition, women who suffer a miscarriage after more than three months of pregnancy will be eligible for one month's salary.

The draft amendments also contain some minor changes to the law, including new labor insurance regulations for workers. Workers who are injured on the job would have five years rather than two to seek labor insurance payouts.

Compensation inability to work because of injury or illness would start from the third day rather than the fourth day of missed work. Fines for not paying labor insurance premiums on time would be reduced by half.

The Cabinet meeting yesterday also passed an amendment to the Employment Services Act (就業服務法) which will lift the regulation requiring foreigners entering the country to preach religion or attend religion-promotion activities to apply for a working permit in advance.

The Executive Yuan will send the amendment to the legislature for deliberation.

Additional reporting staff writer