On the date of 1^st anniversary of three labor laws enforcement, TFFU demands for substantial amendments to further secure basic union rights. The Union Law, Collective Bargaining Law and Labor Dispute Settlement Law are so called “the three labor laws” in Taiwan. Since its establishment, TFFU has been involved in tripartite discussions on labor law legislation, putting it as the top concern in union’s political agenda. TFFU president Lin Wan Fu is nominated as KMT 23^rd legislator at large and Lai Wan Chih is nominated as DPP 31^st legislator at large, creating a new political scenario for union’s participation in labor law legislation.
      Points of the amendments TFFU proposes are as below:
      1.Amendments to Article 4, 6 & 7 of the Union Law:
        rights to organize and join the union should be the most basic one to secure. TFFU supports in-house union regulations in the U.S. that when a corporate union holds over half of all employees as members, the rest of employees should automatically join the union. In addition, TFFU demands that atypical labor, like dispatching, outsourcing or contracting out, could join union of the corporate where one actually provides labor and work.
      2.Amendments to Article 10 & 13 of the Collective Bargaining Law:
        TFFU argues that it is absurd to ask unions of state-owned enterprises, military entities and schools, public agencies and schools to obtain consent from central authority before signing collective bargaining agreement with employers. It’s also unfair that the central authority only has right to object but no responsibility required during difficult negotiations. As for the so-called “avoid hitch-hiking” rules, government should regulate clearly the fines for violation to diminish employers’ incentives of providing benefits or depriving welfare as to influence employees’ participation in union activities.
      3.Amendments to Article 25 of the Labor Dispute Settlement Law:
      TFFU strongly opposes the restrictions on certain industries’right to strike, including teachers, which are obviously against the two international human right covenants Taiwanese government just signs.
      There are 2 banks starting merger process right after the government claims that now is a great time for financial merger. One bank has completed acquisition and the other, TC Bank, one of TFFU member, has been in severe struggles fighting for signing collective bargaining agreement to protect workers rights before merger. A new round of financial M&A seems to begin and more labor disputes may happen on our members soon. Thus TFFU special research team of global financial policy proposes the union version of the Financial Institution Merger Act. What we concern and demand for is employees’ right to decide their own working life and career whereas employers should fully compensate them with respect before the merger. The major opinions focus on 2 principles:
      1.As long as workers’rights are considered as one of the important public interests that the government should secure, requirements for the central authority to consider the merger should exclude those with unfair labor practice and labor relation dispute records or related laws suit.
      2.Since employees have been the stakeholders and worker rights protection has been officially recognized as corporate responsibility by central authority of financial affairs, the Financial Supervisory Commission, requirement of merger plan proposed by private financial institutions should include “employee’s rights protection plan”, in which the employees who choose to stay could have relief time for adjustment and those who choose to leave could be compensated reasonably.