The Ministry of Transportation and Communications yesterday said it would continue negotiating with the Taiwan Railway Labor Union on the supporting laws of the State-run Taiwan Railways Corporation Act (國營台灣鐵路股份有限公司設置條例), despite disagreements over certain issues.
Although the act was passed at the legislature in June, 16 additional supporting laws are needed to enforce it.
The union has demanded that the ministry not announce any supporting laws without negotiating with it first.
However, the union on Tuesday threatened to go on strike during the Lunar New Year holiday next month as it accused the ministry of announcing the Rules Governing the Maintenance of Railway Infrastructure and Carriage, despite there being unresolved issues.
“The union wanted the government to bear more maintenance costs, and we will continue to negotiate with the union over this matter,” Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting at the legislature’s Transportation Committee.
Wang also said that the statement that the ministry issued on Tuesday informs the public that a new set of rules is to be announced, and is not an official announcement of the final regulations.
Negotiations have been proceeding rationally, as all parties involved want the soon-to-be-established railway firm to perform well, Wang said, adding that “any tiff among family members can be resolved quickly.”
Based on the proposed rules, the railway operator should budget NT$2.1 billion (US$68.38 million) annually to cover the costs of levels 1 and 2 maintenance projects. Levels 3 and 4 maintenance projects are funded by the ministry.
Separately, the Mainland Affairs Council should announce before the Lunar New Year holiday when the “small three links” between Kinmen and Lienchiang counties, and China would be reopened, Wang said.
Meanwhile, charter flight services between Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) and Matsuyama Airport in Japan’s Ehime Prefecture would be resumed in February following a nearly two-year suspension, the Civil Aeronautics Administration said yesterday.
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