The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) vows to improve workers’ rights by amending laws that would promote a shorter workweek and a higher minimum wage, DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday, while calling on the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) to stop prioritizing cross-strait relations over labor issues.
The DPP legislative caucus has proposed an amendment to the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法) that would change current regulations defining regular work as 84 hours every two weeks to 40 hours per week, and will push for the legislation of a minimum wage act that ensures workers can enjoy an income necessary to meet basic living standards, Tsai said while attending a religious ceremony in Taipei’s Songshan District (松山).
The DPP also plans to put forth legislation regulating the labor dispatch industry to reduce abuse as part of the party’s upcoming policies aimed at improving working conditions and labor rights, she said.
The Taiwanese workforce suffers from substandard working conditions, including low wages and long working hours, while the legal minimum monthly wage — NT$19,273 — is not adequate for workers to meet their basic needs, Tsai said.
Asked to comment on the likely KMT presidential hopefuls for next year’s presidential election, Tsai — the DPP’s presidential candidate — said it is the KMT’s business to work out its nomination, while the DPP is preparing for next year’s presidential and legislative elections by directly engaging itself with the public.
The DPP must not underestimate the KMT, despite flagging support for the party because of its poor performance, as the KMT still holds abundant resources and a strong grassroots political network, she said.
Asked about the meeting between New Taipei City Mayor and KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) at the annual KMT forum with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on Monday, Tsai reiterated that the KMT should know how to differentiate between KMT-CCP exchanges and cross-strait relations.
“Cross-strait relations are not KMT-CCP relations and should not be regarded as such,” she said, adding that manipulating cross-strait issues through the media would only compromise Taiwan’s interests.
That the KMT government was working on cross-strait affairs on Labor Day suggests that it is out of touch with society, and the cross-strait achievements that it has been boasting do not conform with public sentiment, she said.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost