TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The China Steel Express Union (CSEU, 中鋼運通企業工會) gathered over 100 people on Wednesday (Oct. 9) outside the Ministry of Labor (MOL, 勞動部) to protest the company's suspension of labor and health insurance for Taiwanese seafarers since July. The union demanded the ministry recognize the employment relationship between the company and the seafarers.
Union members rammed the ministry's entrance three times after the press conference, accusing the company of failing to assign Taiwanese seafarers to ships, leaving more than 300 families in distress. Chen Po-chien (陳柏謙), a union researcher, stated, "The union reported the illegal insurance suspension to the ministry in July, but it failed to uphold justice and instead accepted the suspension in a response to the company at the end of July."
Chen criticized the ministry for shirking responsibility by advising the union and seafarers to seek help from local labor authorities or courts, effectively aiding the company. He urged current Labor Minister Ho Pei-shan (何佩珊) to intervene, recalling her advocacy for workers' rights 35 years ago when she criticized "the state apparatus and employers for becoming oppressors of labor."
Wang Hou-wei (王厚偉), director of the ministry's Labor Relations Department, noted that the contract dispute is under litigation and stated that the ministry cannot compel the employer to reinstate insurance but will conduct inspections based on the union's report. Wang urged the company to treat seafarers well, address grievances, and resolve disputes through negotiation.