A recently passed amendment to labor laws that will loosen restrictions on unions’ ability to strike sparked anger and criticism among labor representatives and academics yesterday, who said the government had put too many restrictions on workers in certain sectors.
The Settlement of Labor-Management Dispute Act (勞資爭議處理法) initially stipulated that union members must vote on whether to support a strike by attending an assembly and voting in person, a rule that is generally regarded as a means to deter strikers.
The amendment the legislature passed on Friday would allow a union to announce a strike as long as more than half of its members show support by an anonymous vote, but without requiring all members to attend a union assembly in person, which is difficult for large unions.
However, labor groups including the Taiwan Labor Front and the National Federation of Independent Trade Unions (NAFITU) slammed a requirement in the amendment that “rights items,” such as employment contracts, collective bargaining agreements or other legally based agreements must be settled by means of judicial arbitration because the process often drags out, putting workers at a disadvantage.
The amendment also requires that industries dealing with public safety, including water, electric and gas utilities as well as medical institutions, set a “minimum level” of service in the event of a strike.
The minimum level must be negotiated between management and workers before a strike begins.
Lin Chia-ho (林佳和), an assistant professor of law at National Chengchi University, criticized the clause, saying that it was similar to “asking for an opponent’s permission before starting a fight.”
As long as an employer refuses to reach an agreement with the union on what constitutes a “minimum level” of service, a union would be unable to legally announce a strike, he said.
The amendment “imposes more restrictions on laborers” and “makes no sense,” he said.
“No industry should be denied the right to strike,” said Son Yu-lian (孫友聯), secretary-general of the Taiwan Labor Front.
NAFITU president Chu Wei-li (朱維立) said that even if the law gave workers the right to strike, it did not mean they would announce a strike whenever a labor-management conflict arises.
Rather, it would give unions more bargaining power when negotiating with management, Chu said.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by