Labor activist on hunger strike faints during scuffle
Taiwan News
Date: 2016/11/16
B:y Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A fight at a Legislative Yuan hearing about workweek reform Wednesday
(By Central News Agency)
ended with Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Chen Ying collapsing on the floor and a labor activist fainting.
Government plans to abolish seven out of 19 annual holidays for workers in return for a simplified workweek have met with vociferous resistance from labor groups and opposition parties, with protests and hunger strikes marking the ups and downs of the legislative review procedure.
Chen chaired a hearing Wednesday at the Legislature’s Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee where both sides had the opportunity to explain their views on the issue.
As soon as the hearing opened, Chen and labor activists clashed on the topic of whether questions could be asked by the public. The protesters went on to demand the presence of the ruling DPP’s chief whip, Ker Chien-ming. When Chen refused to go and fetch Ker, but called a ten-minute recess instead, the protesters surrounded her, leading to scuffles. [FULL STORY]
