Labor Day in Taiwan: Workers Demand Better Conditions from New Administration

Taiwanese Labor Unions March for Improved Wages, Shorter Hours, and Workplace Protections

Taipei, Taiwan - On Labor Day, May 1st, labor groups in Taiwan took to the streets in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei. Their primary objective: to urge President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) and his administration to prioritize and implement significant improvements to working conditions for Taiwanese workers.

A central focus of the demonstration was the urgent need for enhanced protections against workplace bullying. This concern gained national attention following the tragic suicide of a Ministry of Labor (MOL) staffer in November 2024, allegedly due to abuse by Hsieh Yi-jung (謝宜容), a former MOL official. Hsieh, who led the New Taipei office of the MOL's Workforce Development Agency in 2023-24, was subsequently dismissed after receiving major demerits.

Beyond anti-bullying measures, the Labor Day march highlighted several key demands, including calls for reduced working hours, increased wages, and a more stable labor supply.

Ministry of Labor data underscores the urgency of these demands, revealing that Taiwanese workers continue to endure the second-highest average annual working hours in Asia, trailing only Singapore.

As highlighted by Taiwan People's Party lawmaker Chang Chi-kai (張啓楷) during a pre-march news conference, the average annual working hours increased to 2,030.4 hours in 2024, rising from 2,008 in 2022 and 2,019 in 2023.

Tai Kuo-jung (戴國榮), president of the Taiwan Confederation of Trade Unions, emphasized that these demands have been consistently raised by labor groups for years, yet the government's response has been insufficient. He stated, "It's no different from bullying workers from all walks of life when the government fails to act on these demands."