Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/11/03
By: Yu Hsiao-han, Chen Chun-hua, Wang Cheng-chung and S.C. Chang
Taipei, Nov. 3 (CNA) A workers group vowed on Thursday that it would stage a hunger strike the
following day to protest the government’s plan to ram through the Legislature an amendment to the labor law, forcing the authorities to increase security around the building.
The group, which calls itself “2016 Workers Struggle Against the President,” said representatives from various labor unions will begin an indefinite hunger strike to protest a plan by president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to revise the Labor Standards Act and deprive workers of seven national holidays by Nov. 8.
The group accused the Democratic Progressive Party government of bowing to business pressure with its decision to trade the seven holidays for a 40-hour work week — two issues it said should not be linked together.
Two recent incidents where student protesters stormed DPP legislative whip Ker Chien-ming’s (柯建銘) office and the DPP headquarters — on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2 — were just a reminder to the ruling party that it has failed to keep its promise on labor rights , said the “Workers Struggle Against the President” on its Facebook page. [FULL STORY]