TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Labor groups protested in front of the Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (Taipei Metro, 台北捷運公司) on Wednesday (April 30), demanding that contractors include accrued annual leave for outsourced cleaning staff when contracts change. Taipei Metro said it will consider the request as Labor Day approaches.
The union, including the Taiwan Dispatch Industry Union (台灣勞動派遣產業工會), held a press conference titled, "With Labor Day Approaching, How Long Will Taipei Metro Steal Workers' Annual Leave?" (五一勞動節在即，北捷還要當特休小偷多久？) in front of Taipei Metro. Protesters shouted slogans like, "Taipei Metro: Annual Leave Thief" and "Taipei Metro! Return Annual Leave to Cleaners."
Ray Cheng (鄭中睿), an advisor to the union, highlighted a 2023 survey by the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting, and Statistics (DGBAS, 主計總處), stating that the average tenure for employees in Taiwan is 6.4 years. In contrast, 889 outsourced cleaning workers at Taipei Metro have an average tenure of 8.21 years, with 354 having over 10 years of service.
Cheng noted that despite long service, some workers only receive three days of annual leave when contractors change, resulting in a loss of 2,170 days of leave, equating to NT$3,298,400 in wages. The union pointed out that the Public Construction Commission (公共工程委員會) amended the "Labor Procurement Contract Template" (勞務採購契約範本) in 2019 to mandate the inclusion of accrued leave. Additionally, the Control Yuan recommended this inclusion in a 2018 report on Taipei Metro.
The union demanded a Taipei Metro audit, disclosure of the seniority of all outsourced cleaning staff, and a proposal for a plan to transition them to direct employment. Taipei Metro representatives accepted the demands for further discussion.