Workers’ Day on May 1 should be designated as a national holiday starting from this year, the National Federation of Teachers’ Unions (NFTU) said yesterday.
Making Workers’ Day a national holiday has obtained bipartisan consensus, with legislators from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) proposing different versions of amendments to the Act on Implementing Memorial Days and State Holidays (紀念日及節日實施辦法), the group said at a news conference in Taipei.
It should be prioritized in this legislative session and passed as soon as possible to solve disputes that have existed for years, it said.
Photo: CNA
Workers’ Day is observed by the private sector, but schools, public service jobs and the military typically do not provide the day off.
TPP Legislator Chen Gau-tzu (陳昭姿) said that her party believes workers, teachers and every citizen should have the right to take a day off, and that right should be guaranteed by law.
DPP Legislator Hsu Chih-chieh (許智傑) said Article 5 of the Central Regulation Standard Act (中央標準法) says that regulations should concern “the rights or obligations of the people,” so the amendment should be addressed as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, KMT Legislator Ko Ju-chun (葛如鈞) urged Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) — who had said he would return the Workers’ Day holiday to teachers so they share equal rights with workers — to keep his promise.
KMT Legislator Wan Mei-ling (萬美玲) also called to designate Teacher’s Day on Sept. 28 as a national holiday to show respect to educators, adding that regulating memorial days and holidays by executive order contravenes the Central Regulation Standard Act.
The government should review the national holiday system to ensure its fairness and the rights of educators and workers, Wan said.
NFTU president Hou Chun-liang (侯俊良) said the dignity of labor should be honored, as making Workers’ Day a national holiday has obtained public consensus.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
Speeding and badly maintained roads were the main causes of a school bus accident on a rainy day in Taipei last year that severely injured two people and left 22 with minor injuries, the Taiwan Transportation and Safety Board said. On March 11 last year, a Kang Chiao International School bus overturned inside the Wenshan Tunnel (文山隧道) on the northbound lane of the Xinyi Expressway. The tour bus, owned by Long Lai Co, exceeded the speed limit after entering the tunnel, the board’s investigation found. Sensing that the rear of the vehicle was swaying, the driver attempted to use the service and exhaust
RSS