The Cabinet yesterday passed a draft amendment that would allow five types of public servants to form “special associations” amid calls to allow unionization following a deadly fire last month.
The amendment would allow firefighters to form separate groups from police as current law requires.
The amendment, if passed, would allow five types of public servants — judicial officials, accountants, customs officers, police and medical personnel — to form such associations.
Photo courtesy of the Executive Yuan
According to the amendment, the associations would fall under the same law’s authority.
The Ministry of Civil Service would be responsible for reviewing and approving applications for the formation of special associations if there seems to be a discrepancy between the actual work being conducted and the professional nature of the job.
For example, firefighters and police officers both observe the Police Personnel Management Act (警察人員人事條例), even though their professions are different, Directorate-General of Personnel Administration General Planning Division Director Chou Wei-ting (周威廷) said.
The amendment also states that the formation of special agency-specific associations at Category 3 government agencies would require a minimum of 200 members, while special associations for the five types of public servants would need at least 400.
The number of people required to form special agency-specific associations under the central government and in municipalities would also be reduced from 800 to 400.
As for criticism that the threshold was too high, Chou said that public servants eligible to form special associations numbered 3,800 or above, adding that firefighters had an even higher headcount nationwide.
Chou said that the agency set a threshold to ensure that the groups would be proportionate enough to represent their vocation’s collective views while reasonably relaxing restrictions.
The amendment would allow special associations to make suggestions or attend committees, bodies or meetings, as long as the issues discussed pertain to the interest of its members.
It would also set standards on performance evaluations, and special associations could negotiate with local authorities regarding training, further education, and assistance for employee mental and physical health.
Negotiations would see certain constraints imposed, preventing the government from holding endless meetings, Chou said, adding that other measures are being introduced to ensure that the special associations could uphold the rights of their members.
Separately, Executive Yuan spokesman Lin Tzu-lun (林子倫) quoted Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) as saying that the amendment was introduced in response to labor trends and demands, and the government hoped that the introduction of special associations would maintain amity between the government and public servants.
Additional reporting by CNA
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
RSS