TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's top labor official warned Thursday (Oct. 9) that companies reducing employee work hours without consent violate national labor law. Minister Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) made the announcement as U.S. tariff impacts affect 8,505 workers through reduced hours, according to Ministry of Labor (MOL, 勞動部) statistics from late September.
Taiwan Workers' Labor Union (臺灣工人鬥陣總工會) demanded a day earlier that the government establish formal regulations requiring accurate employer reporting of reduced work hours. The union called for revising the Act for Worker Protection of Mass Redundancy (解僱勞工保護法) to include migrant workers in layoff calculations. Taiwan's parliament, the Legislative Yuan's Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee (社會福利及衛生環境委員會), has summoned Hung to report on tariff impacts.
Hung told reporters before the committee meeting that businesses reduce work hours primarily to prevent layoffs. The minister emphasized that implementing such measures without employee consent constitutes illegal activity under Taiwan law. He confirmed the Ministry of Labor's willingness to evaluate civil group proposals addressing these workforce challenges.
Hung addressed President Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) recent proposals to ease domestic helper employment qualifications, confirming ongoing government assessments. The evaluations focus on protecting local workers while ensuring childcare quality and reducing family caregiving burdens. The minister indicated these reviews represent part of broader workforce policy considerations. ◼