The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus unveiled draft legislation today aimed at protecting delivery workers’ rights, including guaranteed pay and minimum wage, the right to go offline and restrictions on platforms arbitrarily terminating contracts.
The DPP held a news conference at the Legislative Yuan to announce the draft law, inviting National Delivery Industrial Union chair Chen Yu-an (陳昱安) and spokesperson Su Po-hao (蘇柏豪), as well as Taipei Online Delivery Platform Workers’ Union chair Cheng Li-chia (鄭力嘉) to participate.
DPP policy committee executive director Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) said the draft bill has 25 articles and highlights 10 key provisions.
Photo: CNA
Wu said this includes guarantees for delivery fees, minimum wage and workers’ right to go offline, as well as restrictions on platforms arbitrarily terminating contracts and the establishment of complaint channels.
Platforms would be responsible for workers’ occupational hazard insurance premiums and for record-keeping, to which the government would have access, she said.
The legislation would also standardize contracts among platforms, delivery workers, consumers and merchants and protect both consumers’ and delivery workers’ personal data, she added.
DPP caucus secretary-general Chen Pei-yu (陳培瑜) said that standardized contracts between platforms, workers, consumers and merchants are essential to ensure that all parties are protected and help resolve disputes.
The legislation must also protect consumers’ and workers’ personal data, Chen said.
DPP Legislator Fan Yun (范雲) said that the draft legislation overcomes the previous dilemma in which delivery workers were forced to be classified either as employees or contractors, aiming to ensure that delivery work remains both flexible and safe.
Cheng said that the delivery industry has been in Taiwan for almost 10 years, and although countless meetings have been held, the industry still lacks a trustworthy and auditable system.
The DPP caucus’ draft legislation is the most comprehensive, standing out for its use of Ministry of Transportation delivery rates alongside minimum wage to guarantee fare compensation for delivery workers, Cheng said.
Su highlighted that while the minimum wage has increased annually, delivery workers’ wages have been decreasing.
Opposition parties should work with the ruling party on this proposed legislation to eliminate this unjust situation, Su said.
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