Labor unions in healthcare industry protest against new work rule

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/01/23
By Chang Ming-hsuan and Kuan-lin Liu

Taipei, Jan. 23 (CNA) Unions in the healthcare industry staged a protest outside the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) on Tuesday, calling for a reinstatement of the mandated 11 hours of rest between work shifts, a rule that was removed in the recent amendments to Taiwan’s labor laws.

Under the newly amended Labor Standards Act, employees can be asked to work with only an eight-hour break between shifts, a change that the healthcare unions said would lead to overwork and increase the risk of errors on the job.

In response, the health ministry invited representatives of the healthcare industry — workers and employers — to discuss how best to apply the regulation on the minimum rest period between work shifts on Tuesday.    [FULL  STORY]