Taiwan Workers Protest against Labor Policy

November 12th, about twenty unions allied to launch a demonstration in front of the Council of Labor Affairs. Representing labors, farmers, and fishermen, they demand Taiwan president Chen Shui-bien stand down and the DDP government change their labor policy right away.

They said that most people raged at the first family’s pocketing NT$14,800,408 from the “state affairs fund” through receipts not used for state affairs, however, few people were aware of the expenditure on financial and economic policy. In the past six years, DDP government has sold a lot of state-run business to big corporations with very low prices, which included Chunghwa Telecom Corp, the nation's biggest telecom operator, and Taiwan Sugar Corp. What’s more, about one hundred and fifty public works in Taiwan were left unused, wasting more than forty billion dollars. In many cases, building contractors can benefit from the works because they conspired with local government.

Besides, different from the “depose Bien “ movement on the Ketagalan Boulevad, the action didn’t focus on the moral issue of corruption but the policies which made most employees suffering. The unions also pointed out many problems in three labor laws which make labors’ situation worse.

The Labor Union Law, Collective Agreement Law, and The Settlement of Labor Disputes Law of the Nation are exactly the substantiated practice of laborers' rights to union, bargain, and dispute. These laws are major legal bindings laid down to protect laborers' rights to survival and to work. The Council of Labor Affairs now is planning to modify the current three labor laws because they think the laws are now unable to meet the practice needs.

The first problem is about labor right to union. In this part, workers in government administrations, the education industry, and the munitions industry are not allowed to organize unions. And the amendatory act plans to cut down the leaves for union members. In addition, employees in Taiwan must join the union due to the union law. The Council of Labor Affairs is now planning to modify the law, giving them rights to join the union with their free wills. But in the real situation, the employees can’t make choice freely because of the pressure from the employer.

The second problem is about labors right to dispute. The amendatory act says that the employers can use substitution labors and cease salaries during the strikes. In addition, workers in government administrations, the education industry, and the power industry are not allowed to launch a strike. About the right to bargain, the current law gives the employer right to force the union to negotiate.