The government should draft a law to guarantee workers a minimum wage, amend the Employment Service Act (就業服務法) and protect the labor insurance system from bankruptcy, the Taiwan Labour Front said in a statement on International Workers’ Day yesterday.
The government should consider stipulating new labor regulations and amending existing ones in view of new risks posed by the rapidly changing domestic work environment, the group said.
A draft minimum wage law that offers wage security to workers should be the No. 1 issue that the government tackles, it said.
Photo: CNA
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) must fulfill the promise she made during the 2016 presidential election, when she pledged a more transparent and reasonable mechanism to adjust the minimum wage as a long-term solution to address social problems caused by low wages, it added.
The group also said that it supports drafting a labor education act, as labor rights education should be rooted in the education system.
Lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties have proposed different versions of a draft labor education act, and the Executive Yuan should quickly present its version so that all versions can be compared and deliberated at the legislature, it said.
In addition, the government should immediately begin reforming Taiwan’s employment security system by re-examining and amending the Employment Service Act and the Employment Insurance Act (就業保險法), which have been in force for 30 years and 20 years respectively, the group said.
Although the Labor Occupational Accident Insurance and Protection Act (勞工職業災害保險及保護法) took effect yesterday, which is a milestone, the government should ensure that employers comply with the law, and prevent occupational accidents through educational campaigns and strict enforcement of the act, the group said.
Government and opposition lawmakers should also honestly and reasonably tackle the crisis facing the labor insurance fund, which could run out in the next few years, the group said.
“Labor pension reform is an urgent issue,” the group said. “Lawmakers should seek sustainable solutions through dialogues with all stakeholders so that the financial security of elderly people can be protected.”
The government should create regulations to prevent labor right abuses through the use of technology, such as with algorithms and employers invading workers’ privacy through monitoring software, the group said.
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