Trade and teachers’ unions led by the Taiwan Confederation of Trade Unions (TCTU) on Wednesday called on the incoming government to allow workers to play a bigger role in creating labor policy.
The TCTU, along with the National Federation of Teachers’ Unions, the Taiwan Federation of Financial Unions, the Taiwan Confederation of Trade Unions, and the Kaohsiung City Confederation of Trade Unions, called on the ruling and opposition parties to prioritize policies that would benefit the country and the people.
The unions said in a statement they hoped that in the next four years, the new Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government, which is to take office on May 20, would enter into discussions with unions and workers before rushing to pass key labor legislation in the Legislative Yuan.
Photo: Taipei Times file
To ensure coprosperity in society, workers need to be consulted when discussions on matters such as labor pension fund fees, workers’ rights, a nursing shortage and low wages in several industries are taking place, it said.
The groups also called for the incoming government to come up with policy measures and to introduce legislation regarding labor pension reform, protecting the rights of employees during a business merger or acquisition, and the right of collective bargaining and action, as well as promoting a just transition to a green economy.
A just transition means ensuring nobody is left behind during the transition to a low-carbon economy, the statement said.
On Saturday last week Taiwanese elected the Vice President William Lai (賴清德) as president, but his Democratic Progressive Party lost its majority in the 113-seat legislature after it secured 51 seats.
Meanwhile, the unions said that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), which won 52 seats, becoming the largest single party in the Legislative Yuan, and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), which secured eight, should also respond to public opinion.
The KMT and the TPP should work to ensure the labor policies presented by their presidential candidates, Hou You-yi (侯友宜) and Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), are implemented, through law amendments and by pressuring the government, they said.
During campaigning, all three candidates commented on whether Taiwan should permit more migrant workers to tackle worker shortages.
Ko said Taiwan needs to assess the labor demand in each sector before allowing migrant workers into the country.
Migrant workers should not replace local workers, he added.
Hou said he would create a migrant worker outreach platform to engage with them, brokers and employers, to address a labor shortage in the agricultural sector.
Lai said that before introducing foreign workers, the government should first ensure domestic workers are being paid fair wages.
Following pressure from the hospitality industry and foreign chambers of commerce, the new government is expected to open the door to migrant workers, going against the Ministry of Labor’s previous plans to expand work opportunities for locals and improve their labor protection, the unions said.
They added that a range of industries do not face a labor shortage, but companies simply want to pay low wages.
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