Labor

At Start of May, Counter-Protestor Assaulted at Taiwan Solidarity Party Demonstration Against Migrant Workers

Andy Liu
At the start of May, during Labor Day weekend, the right-wing Taiwan Solidarity Party (TSP, formerly known as the Taiwan Solidarity Union) held two rallies in Taipei to protest against migrant workers from South and Southeast Asia. The first rally, held in the morning before the Labor Day march, featured a man tabling with an SS insignia on his arm, and a student was arrested for throwing a water balloon at TSP chairwoman Chou, Ni-An (周倪安). The second rally, held the next day, which the TSP, working with the International Association of Family and Employers with Disabilities (IAFED, also known as Taiwan Employers Association),  dubbed “employer’s day,” followed up with the physical assault of a counter protester by a man donning a TSP vest...
EnglishLaborMay 2026PoliticsRaceSocial Movements11 min read

Public Sector Workers Call for Pay Increase

Brian Hioe
Public sector workers, civil servants, and unions of state-owned enterprises demonstrated in late April to call for an increase in pay. This included groups that traditionally are not allowed to have unions, in that public sector workers are not allowed to unionize. This has been a matter of controversy in past years, particularly after deaths of firefighters that led to calls for firefighters being allowed to unionize...
EnglishLaborMay 2026Social Movements3 min read

May Day Sees Demonstrations for Pension Reforms, Against the ROC Constitution

Brian Hioe
Organized labor groups demonstrated on May 1st, commemorated as May Day or International Workers’ Day in different parts of the world. It is estimated that 6,000 were in attendance. What was most distinctive about the march this year was the inclusion of migrant labor unions, not only with their participation but also the incorporation of labor demands for migrant workers into the core demands of the demonstration. The march began at Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office Building, then proceeded to the Legislative Yuan. An action theater skit was held of workers taking hammers to individuals dressed as politicians...
EnglishLaborMay 2026Self-DeterminationSocial MovementsYouth Movements4 min read