Thousands of workers and labor rights advocates yesterday marched in Taipei to mark International Workers’ Day and demand better labor conditions.
Event organizers estimated that more than 6,000 people joined the demonstration, despite the rain.
The march began at 2pm after a rally on Ketagalan Boulevard organized by a coalition of unions and labor rights groups.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsung, Taipei Times
Demonstrators marched to the Ministry of Labor and the Legislative Yuan before returning to the boulevard, where they launched 15 water rockets toward the Presidential Office Building.
Taiwan Confederation of Trade Unions director-general Chuang Chueh-an (莊爵安), one of the event’s organizers, said that the main purpose of the demonstration was to call for increased protection of labor rights and more rest days.
“Taiwan’s labor conditions are among the worst in the world in terms of work hours, pay, union numbers and retirement protection,” he said.
Photo: CNA
He said he hopes that the march would draw attention to the plight of workers and prompt the government to take immediate action to improve working conditions.
President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration in 2016 abolished seven public holidays when introducing a five-day workweek, despite protests from labor groups, Taoyuan Confederation of Trade Unions president Chuang Fu-kai (莊福凱) said.
“To ensure that workers have enough rest and to protect them from overwork,” the Legislative Yuan should immediately pass a law to add seven public holidays back into the calendar, he said.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsung, Taipei Times
Having more rest days is especially important for people with caregiving responsibilities, Taiwan Association of Family Caregivers vice director Chang Hsiao-chan (張筱嬋) said.
To ensure that they have sufficient rest without losing their jobs, the association and a number of unions have launched a petition to demand legislation that would enable workers to take time off to care for their family members, she said.
A survey the association conducted in 2016 found that 20 percent of the nation’s working population are struggling with balancing work with their caregiving responsibilities, she said.
Photo: Lee Ya-wen, Taipei Times
Most of them were aged from 45 to 64 and held senior jobs, she said.
“These people tend to have a more difficult time finding a new job, but are also harder to replace in companies,” Chang said.
If the government would require companies to provide 30 to 180 days of caregiving leave to employees and offer salary subsidies during leave, it could prevent a string of problems, she said.
“You cannot let people lose their financial support in such situations or more problems will follow. If the government does not begin to address this problem, the result would be a lose-lose situation for workers, employers and the nation,” Chang added.
Event organizers also demanded that the government extend maternity leave from 56 to 90 days and abolish Article 84-1 of the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法), which exempts certain industries from work-hour restrictions.
The ministry in a statement said that it would ask the agency responsible for public holidays to discuss whether to increase their number, while vowing to consider protesters’ suggestions and review Article 84-1.
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