The Cabinet yesterday passed amendments to the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法) proposed by the Ministry of Labor, which would introduce “one fixed day off and one flexible rest day” — or yili yixiu (一例一休) — as two weekly days off to guarantee the realization of the 40--hour work week policy, while canceling seven days off for national holidays.
“With efforts from the Ministry of Labor, Executive Yuan staff and the Democratic Progressive Party [DPP] caucus, we have finally produced this version [of amendments]. Despite all the difficulties, it is a more feasible version that would lead to as little conflict as possible,” Premier Lin Chuan (林全) was quoted as saying by Cabinet spokesman Tung Chen-yuan (童振源) in a post-meeting news conference. “However, there are still differences of opinion, and we need to continue to communicate with the public.”
According to the ministry’s proposed amendments, employers may ask employees to work on their “fixed day off” only in the event of a natural disaster or emergency, and would have to compensate employees with double salary for the day plus an additional day off to make up for it.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
Regarding the “flexible rest day,” employers may ask employees to work after obtaining their consent, but are obligated to provide additional pay, ranging from one and one-third to one and two-thirds times the worker’s basic salary.
However, employees would not get an extra day off if they work on a “flexible rest day.”
Moreover, the proposal would also cancel seven holidays for workers to make all workers, including civil servants, enjoy the same number of national holidays.
The Cabinet’s final amendment proposals drew fire from both labor rights advocates and businesses.
Labor rights activists have been calling for two fixed days off per week and to keep the seven national holidays, while businesses have complained about the high overtime pay they have to offer employees to have them work on a “flexible rest day.”
The seven holidays that the ministry proposed to cancel were also a point of dispute as the government has revised its stance about whether to keep the holidays several times, and has been accused by labor activists of breaking its promise.
Separately, DPP caucus chief executive Wu Ping-jui (吳秉叡) said after a lunch meeting with the premier that the caucus would seek to pass the amendments in September.
“The premier would like the amendments to be passed as soon as possible, so that businesses can more accurately calculate their costs,” Wu said.
He said that not all caucus members supported the proposals, but added that working conditions would improve with the amendments, as they would require employers to provide more overtime pay and obtain consent from their employees to have them work on their rest days.
CLASH OF WORDS: While China’s foreign minister insisted the US play a constructive role with China, Rubio stressed Washington’s commitment to its allies in the region The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday affirmed and welcomed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio statements expressing the US’ “serious concern over China’s coercive actions against Taiwan” and aggressive behavior in the South China Sea, in a telephone call with his Chinese counterpart. The ministry in a news release yesterday also said that the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs had stated many fallacies about Taiwan in the call. “We solemnly emphasize again that our country and the People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to each other, and it has been an objective fact for a long time, as well as
‘CHARM OFFENSIVE’: Beijing has been sending senior Chinese officials to Okinawa as part of efforts to influence public opinion against the US, the ‘Telegraph’ reported Beijing is believed to be sowing divisions in Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture to better facilitate an invasion of Taiwan, British newspaper the Telegraph reported on Saturday. Less than 750km from Taiwan, Okinawa hosts nearly 30,000 US troops who would likely “play a pivotal role should Beijing order the invasion of Taiwan,” it wrote. To prevent US intervention in an invasion, China is carrying out a “silent invasion” of Okinawa by stoking the flames of discontent among locals toward the US presence in the prefecture, it said. Beijing is also allegedly funding separatists in the region, including Chosuke Yara, the head of the Ryukyu Independence
‘ARMED GROUP’: Two defendants used Chinese funds to form the ‘Republic of China Taiwan Military Government,’ posing a threat to national security, prosecutors said A retired lieutenant general has been charged after using funds from China to recruit military personnel for an “armed” group that would assist invading Chinese forces, prosecutors said yesterday. The retired officer, Kao An-kuo (高安國), was among six people indicted for contravening the National Security Act (國家安全法), the High Prosecutors’ Office said in a statement. The group visited China multiple times, separately and together, from 2018 to last year, where they met Chinese military intelligence personnel for instructions and funding “to initiate and develop organizations for China,” prosecutors said. Their actions posed a “serious threat” to “national security and social stability,” the statement
NATURAL INTERRUPTION: As cables deteriorate, core wires snap in progression along the cable, which does not happen if they are hit by an anchor, an official said Chunghwa Telecom Co (中華電信) immediately switched to a microwave backup system to maintain communications between Taiwan proper and Lienchiang County (Matsu) after two undersea cables malfunctioned due to natural deterioration, the Ministry of Digital Affairs told an emergency news conference yesterday morning. Two submarine cables connecting Taiwan proper and the outlying county — the No. 2 and No. 3 Taiwan-Matsu cables — were disconnected early yesterday morning and on Wednesday last week respectively, the nation’s largest telecom said. “After receiving the report that the No. 2 cable had failed, the ministry asked Chunghwa Telecom to immediately activate a microwave backup system, with
RSS