The government should allow teachers and civil servants to take International Workers’ Day off, if it truly respects their dignity as workers, the National Federation of Teachers’ Unions said yesterday.
The organization and eight other civil service workers’ unions issued the statement after a Ministry of Labor employee committed suicide last year, allegedly after being bullied by his supervisor.
Since his death, multiple government workers have publicly said that they were being bullied in the workplace.
Photo: Rachel Lin, Taipei Time
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) also established an online platform for government workers to file complaints about workplace bullying.
Based on this year’s national work calendar announced by the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration, International Workers’ Day, which is observed on May 1, is not a national holiday, although former premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) pledged to consider declaring it one, federation president Hou Chun-liang (侯俊良) said.
However, Cho said that the Cabinet needs time to carefully review this proposal, Hou said.
“Cho claimed that the Cabinet is known for innovation and making use of artificial intelligence, but it is backsliding from honoring human rights,” he said.
The passive attitude of government agencies is disappointing, he said.
The Ministry of the Interior said that a more comprehensive review of the proposal is necessary, as the number of national holidays would affect the operation of the nation, while the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration and the Ministry of Labor said that they would abide by the final decision made by the Ministry of the Interior, Hou said.
As Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) pledged to put his ministry on the front line in protecting workers’ rights, he should support the proposal to make International Workers’ Day a national holiday that also applies to civil servants.
Many lawmakers have proposed different versions of amendment to the Act on Implementing Memorial Days and State Holidays (紀念日及節日實施辦法), which would make International Workers’ Day a national day, the federation’s Publicity Department director Lo Te-shui (羅德水) said.
“We hope that workers’ right to holiday should be fully protected by legalizing the Act on Implementing Memorial Days and State Holidays, which is now an administrative order,” Lo said.
Just like Lunar New Year’s Eve, International Workers’ Day is a favorite holiday among workers, Lo said, citing results of a survey.
“This [survey] shows that the public has agreed that May 1 should be a national holiday. The premier should exercise his executive authority to change the regulations, which could be a new indicator of honoring labor rights of government workers,” Lo said.
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