TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Coalition of Taiwan Civil Service Reform Drivers (台灣公務革新力量聯盟), a grassroots advocacy group representing government employees, organized a solemn memorial service on Wednesday (July 2) that drew more than 20 participants to the Miaoli County Government plaza in western Taiwan. The gathering commemorated a 57-year-old section chief whose recent fatal fall from a government building has become a flashpoint for discussions about workplace conditions in Taiwan's civil service. Demonstrators used the tragedy to spotlight what they describe as entrenched systemic issues affecting government workers across the island.
Protesters called for urgent legislative amendments to extend the protections of Taiwan's Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法) to government employees, who currently fall outside its scope. Hung Jui-hao (洪瑞壕), who chairs the reform coalition, articulated the critical importance of establishing equivalent workplace safety standards for civil servants. He highlighted how intense workplace pressures, bureaucratic impediments, and insufficient mental health support create potentially harmful conditions for government workers who serve in increasingly demanding roles throughout Taiwan's public institutions.
The memorial attracted prominent social justice advocate Chen Chi-chung (陳祺忠), who delivered remarks criticizing what he characterized as a pervasive disregard for civil servants' professional expertise throughout Taiwan's government institutions. Chen lambasted the frequent "political interference" in administrative decisions and called for "comprehensive structural reforms" to restore autonomy to career officials. His comments resonated with attendees as he described how bureaucrats' technical knowledge and recommendations are routinely overridden by political considerations, creating a demoralizing work environment that undermines both efficiency and employee well-being.
The memorial, poignantly titled "The End of a Civil Service Career Should Not Be Death" (公務生涯的終點不應是死亡), represented more than a remembrance ceremony — it served as a public indictment of workplace conditions in government offices. Organizers framed the commemoration as both a tribute to those who have died and a form of protest against the institutional failures that contribute to such tragedies. The coalition has vowed to continue pressing for comprehensive reforms that would create safer working conditions, better mental health support, and greater professional respect for Taiwan's approximately 340,000 civil servants. ◼
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