President Chen Shui-bian (
Chen said the government would also support the council in its efforts to reform the nation's outdated labor laws.
However, labor activists complained that the fair, in which some 80 companies participated, was simply an act to "gloss over the problem of unemployment."
At the start of the job fair in front of the Presidential Office yesterday, Chen said, "The worst [of the economic downturn] has passed and we are now experiencing a steady economic revival. This is the best time for the CLA to improve labor conditions and to enhance the quality of our labor force."
Chen also stressed that, although the government is now focused on restoring the nation's economic prosperity, workers' rights would not be sacrificed to achieve this goal.
The fair displayed more than 8,000 job opportunities, and the CLA took the opportunity to showcase its major achievements in the two years since the DPP came to power.
But labor activists saw the event in a different light.
Next door to the fair, the Labor Legislation Action Council (工人立法行動委員會) and the Confederation of Taipei Trade Unions (台北市產業總工會) led activists in arguing that the event doesn't address the problem of unemployment.
"Organizing an activity such as the job fair does not create job opportunities but only displays existing job openings. The council should not regard today's event as an achievement," said Ho Yian-tang (
The protesters added that most of the job openings offered at the fair put strict conditions on the applicant's age and education -- restrictions they say eliminate under-privileged workers such as the middle-aged, the elderly or those with a low level of education.
Asked whether there were job openings designed for underprivileged workers, CLA Chairwoman Chen Chiu (
Nevertheless, she emphasized that the unemployed can take advantage of professional counseling, vocational training and job-matching services available at the fair and across the nation.
"As well as providing job opportunities during the fair, the main theme of the event was to familiarize workers with the full-scale services designed to empower them to face the challenges of the labor market," she said.
The CLA has established 50 centers nationwide to provide workers with employment services, vocational training and unemployment benefits.
Over the past two years, the council has established and amended several labor laws, including the Labor Standards Law (勞基法), the Employment Service Act (就業服務法), the Gender Equality Labor Law (兩性工作平等法) and the Law to Protect Workers Against Occupational Hazards (職業災害勞工保護法).
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