NO HARD FEELINGS:The premier said he ‘appreciated the creativity’ of protesters and would not pursue charges against those who placed stickers on public signs
Taipei Times
Date: Dec 05, 2017
By: Chen Wei-han / Staff reporter
It is necessary to revise the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法), as last year’s amendment has had a
Premier William Lai speaks during an interview yesterday on Hit FM’s Voice of Taipei radio show. Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
negative effect on salaries, with about 11 percent of employees planning to seek part-time work to earn extra income, Premier William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday.
The “one fixed day off and one rest day” workweek scheme, promulgated in December last year, has negatively affected 19 percent of the workforce, Lai said during an interview, adding that among them, 60 percent want to work part-time to earn extra income.
Businesses have either downsized or hired part-time employees due to overtime restrictions and there are even agencies helping businesses recruit employees from other firms to help with overtime demand, Lai said.
“We need to propose solutions to these problems,” he said.
While some Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers have opposed a draft amendment proposed by the Cabinet, Lai said that all lawmakers — including DPP Legislator Lin Shu-fen (林淑芬), who has vehemently opposed the latest proposal — must have heard complaints about the lack of workweek flexibility from employers and employees alike. [FULL STORY]
