On May Day 2024, Taiwan saw a massive labor march, with nearly 4000 workers taking to the streets from Ketagalan Boulevard, chanting "No Honeymoon for Continuous Governance, Parliament Must Reform to Support Labor Rights," heading towards the Legislative Yuan. The aim of this event was to urge legislative reforms in response to pressing labor issues such as low wages, long working hours, inadequate retirement benefits, and other urgent labor concerns.
On the same day, Legislator Lin Guocheng met with representatives from the Grassroots League at the Legislative Yuan, demonstrating support and respect for grassroots labor groups. He emphasized that political organizations should continue to strive to serve the people. Against this backdrop, the labor march carried even greater significance, serving not only as a response to current government policies but also as a call for action from the new government.
Jiang Jianxing, Chairman of the Taiwan Confederation of Trade Unions, served as the chief organizer of the march, presenting five key demands, including wage increases and protection of labor rights. He criticized the government's policy of treating civil servants differently from ordinary workers. During the march, there were also performances of street theater, fiercely criticizing the past Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government's amendments to the Labor Standards Act.
Furthermore, Liu Xingde, Chairman of the Hsinchu Confederation of Trade Unions, emphasized that the future government should increase welfare instead of cutting it, calling for the Labor Standards Act to not only cease deterioration but also to be revised in a more favorable direction. With both opposition and ruling parties promising to improve labor conditions, Liu Xingde and other labor representatives hope to see effective and substantive changes.
At the culmination of the action, labor representatives rolled three-color giant balls, symbolizing different political parties, from the crowd to the stage, symbolizing labor's expectations for the parties to fulfill their promises of labor-friendly policies. This march not only voiced demands for labor law reforms but also highlighted the strength and influence of the labor movement in a democratic society, with expectations for the new government to provide a positive and concrete response.
〔Pinview / Comprehensive editing〕2024-5-2 14:15
〔Photo from May Day Action Alliance Facebook fan page / Photo by reporter Chen Mingzhong〕2024-5-1