The Executive Yuan does not have a fixed timetable for the passage of the draft amendment to the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法), Premier William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, after a legislative committee review of the proposal was stalled by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers.
Speaking on the sidelines of a long-term care event in Taipei, Lai called for a rational review of the draft amendment to bring it more in line with the needs of society.
“At the Executive Yuan, we can decide our own timetable [for draft bills.] However, once they are sent to the Legislative Yuan, we must respect the legislative proceedings. We do not have a fixed timetable” for the bill’s passage, he said.
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
Despite Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers’ failed attempt to complete committee review of the bill on Thursday due to stalling tactics by their KMT counterparts, Lai said the fact the draft amendment was able to survive a plenary vote last week and be forwarded to the committee for review was progress.
That being said, given the limitations of the current “one fixed day off and one flexible rest day” policy in terms of personnel arrangement and working hours, “it goes without saying that the Executive Yuan hopes to see the problem solved as soon as possible,” Lai said.
Thursday’s session yielded little result due to filibustering by KMT Legislator Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) for more than two hours.
Labor groups have also protested against the proposed revisions, which would raise the ceiling on the number of consecutive working days from six to 12 days.
The amendment would also allow companies to cut the minimum rest time between shifts from 11 hours to eight hours if they reached an agreement with employees during labor-management negotiations.
The legislation was drafted after the “one fixed day off and one flexible rest day” policy passed by the DPP administration in December last year met with strong criticism from businesses. The policy ensures workers at least one day off after every six days worked and overtime pay for employees working on their flexible rest day.
DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) lamented the caucus’ failure to have the committee pass the draft amendment on Thursday, saying it should serve as a “warning” to the caucus and pointing to “flaws” in the caucus’ operations.
For one, some DPP lawmakers that attended the committee meeting forgot to sign in, which led to the DPP’s defeat in a vote, Ker said.
“We will engage in introspection and make improvements,” he said.
The caucus hopes to pass the proposed amendment as soon as possible, but if it fails to pass the third reading by the end of this year, “surely it can be passed during an extempore session,” he added.
Meanwhile, KMT Chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) said he fully supports Chiang’s and the KMT caucus’ goal.
“The draft amendment should be able to create a win-win situation for both employers and employees. There are some steps that have been overlooked in the legislative proceedings, such as holding more public hearings nationwide to bridge the differences between workers and management,” Wu said.
Additional reporting by Sean Lin
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
Speeding and badly maintained roads were the main causes of a school bus accident on a rainy day in Taipei last year that severely injured two people and left 22 with minor injuries, the Taiwan Transportation and Safety Board said. On March 11 last year, a Kang Chiao International School bus overturned inside the Wenshan Tunnel (文山隧道) on the northbound lane of the Xinyi Expressway. The tour bus, owned by Long Lai Co, exceeded the speed limit after entering the tunnel, the board’s investigation found. Sensing that the rear of the vehicle was swaying, the driver attempted to use the service and exhaust