The legislature yesterday passed preliminary review of most provisions in a bill that would increase pay and mandate insurance for delivery service drivers, clearing a hurdle for the anticipated legislation.
Lawmakers in the Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee agreed to support the bulk of a government-backed special act governing delivery platforms, while leaving its name and regulatory purpose to interparty negotiations.
The approved portions of the bill stipulate that drivers must be compensated at a rate equivalent to 1.25 times the minimum wage and no less than NT$45 per delivery.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
The minimum pay per job is determined by applying the 1.25 multiplier to the product of the minimum wage of NT$4.1 per minute and the average work time of 10 to 12 minutes per delivery, the Ministry of Labor said.
Officials took the high-end estimate to compensate for fuel costs, vehicle maintenance and time spent idling, which employers do not cover, it said.
The bill would authorize an independent arbitration panel for drivers to appeal against terminations and wage deductions consisting of at least one union representative and two other members.
It would also forbid delivery service platforms from retaliating against employees who file a complaint with the panel.
In addition, delivery platforms would be obligated to provide drivers with group personal injury insurance and liability before offering services to consumers.
The platforms would be allowed to suspend payment on the insurance policies if the driver does not furnish services for three consecutive days.
Delivery platforms must report work-related accidents and injuries to regulators within eight hours or face a fine of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000, according to the bill.
Attempts to evade or obstruct regulatory oversight would result in a fine of between NT$30,000 and NT$150,000, and contravening regulations governing drivers’ pay would result in a fine of between NT$20,000 and NT$100,000.
Regulators would be authorized to publish each infraction by a platform that resulted in a fine and impose additional fines on platforms that fail to rectify issues.
The bill would go into effect within six months of its promulgation, should it become law.
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