TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Executive Yuan approved a draft amendment on Thursday (Oct. 26) that will allow select police, judiciary, and accounting personnel in government agencies to form unions with the approval of the Ministry of Civil Service. The Examination Yuan will review the proposed amendment.
This move comes after a tragic fire in Pingtung that killed four firefighters, prompting the National Association for Firefighters' Rights to demand union formation. The proposed amendments include relaxing union negotiation items such as shift rotation, rest days, and performance evaluation standards.
The draft amendment limits administrative leave hours to 60 hours per month, lowering the existing agency association formations threshold from 800 to 400 people. Chou Wei-ting, the director of the planning department of the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration, said that these updates aim to accommodate five unique groups whose work nature justifies the formation of specialized associations.
Premier Chen Chien-jen has echoed Chou's sentiment, stating that the amendment responds to evolving public sector labor trends and the demand for public servants' right to form unions.