Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/05/15
By: Zoe Wei and Lilian Wu
Taipei, May 15 (CNA) After the Legislature cleared an amendment to the Labor
Standards Act Friday to reduce the work week to 40 hours starting next year, a major labor group said that this is only the beginning and there is still a lot to be done if Taiwan is to shed its image as an island of overwork.
It is estimated that 3.4 million workers will benefit under the amended law.
“This is only the first step for Taiwanese workers to shed their super-long working hours and overwork,” the Taiwan Labor Front said.
It stressed that Taiwan still has to work toward reducing the amount of overtime, honoring holidays, and eliminating the “responsibility” system under which workers are required to complete allocated tasks no matter how long it takes, as well as a ban on the 12-hour rotational system, to cut its average 2,124 work hours per year — the third-highest in the world. [FULL STORY]