Brian Hioeby Brian Hioe
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Photo Credit: Brian Hioe
LABOR GROUPS DEMONSTRATED on Ketagalan Boulevard today to commemorate International Workers’ Day, also known as May Day in other parts of the world. International Workers’ Day brings thousands of union members from all over Taiwan to protest each year in Taipei.
The march today began with a rally in front of a color stage set up on Ketagalan Boulevard. The march then proceeded north, passing by Taipei Main Station, before moving south past the Control Yuan and Legislative Yuan to return to Ketagalan Boulevard.
Photo credit: Brian Hioe
There were a number of demands by unions this year, some of which have recurred in past years. For example, there were calls for the restoration of public holidays that were cut as part of changes to the Labor Standards Act by the Tsai administration. Workers called for more days off, as well as criticized the long hours and low pay facing workers across the board, affecting both young people and the elderly, particularly in times of rising inflation. Workers further called for insurance and subsidies to further protect workers.
To this extent, workers called for an end to workplace bullying. Such issues have increasingly been discussed in Taiwan after the suicide of a civil servant working in the Ministry of Labor, leading to a scandal that led to the resignation of Minister of Labor Ho Pei-shan, and legislator Hung Sun-han becoming the new Labor Minister.
Photo credit: Brian Hioe
Likewise, unions called for an end to discriminatory treatment of workers, calling for equal treatment under the law. It continues to be the case that gender discriminatory uniform policies exist in industries such as the airline industry with flight attendants. Issues of sexual harassment and assault in the workplace continue to take place, as observed in the controversy that ensued after the suicide of a McDonald’s worker who was sexually assaulted by her supervisor.
In this vein, workers were critical of the differing rights of public servants, police, firefighters, military, and teachers, in that some of these groups lack union rights that private sector workers enjoy. Workers also called for lowering the threshold for unionization, in that current requirements do not allow for unionization in small-to-medium-sized companies with less than 30 workers, and yet it is the case that Taiwan’s economy is largely dependent on small-to-medium-sized enterprises.
Photo credit: Brian Hioe
Union groups present came from a number of companies and industries, such as Chunghwa Post, Chunghwa Telecom, the CPC Corporation, EVA Airways, and others. Migrant worker groups such as the Taiwan International Workers’ Association, GANAS, and National Domestic Workers’ Union were also present. Pro-sovereignty third parties, too, were present as the Green Party and Social Democratic Party.
At the same time, some pro-unification-leaning groups such as Parallel Government, the Left Party, and the Labor Party were present. Among the demands of such groups were cross-strait exchanges to demand the economy, recalls of DPP legislators, and for President Lai Ching-te of the DPP to step down. It is to be seen how this affects the optics of the demonstration, with Taiwan’s other major annual labor demonstration, Autumn Struggle, having drifted increasingly close to the KMT in past years.
Photo credit: Brian Hioe
Indeed, with Taiwan in the midst of an unprecedented series of recall campaigns against KMT legislators, it would not be surprising if further splits arise in labor groups in the coming year. Still, in the present public discussion of the KMT’s budget cuts, freezing of the Constitutional Court, and labor rights have not been centered as an issue. It is to be seen if this changes.