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Two Battles for Revising Labor Standards Act Have Destroyed Lin Chuan and Wounded Lai Ching-te

icon2017/12/07
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 Two Battles for Revising Labor Standards Act Have Destroyed Lin Chuan and Wounded Lai Ching-te

United Daily News Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan)

December 5, 2017

 Translation of an Excerpt

 

A year ago this week, the DPP, in high-handed moves, completed the legislative action of an amendment bill to the Labor Standards Act, loudly cheering victory and proclaiming that it had secured unprecedented rights and benefits for Taiwan’s labor. However, a year later, the DPP again, in a railroading fashion, revised back the provisions of the articles that they had earlier taken pride in, and exhausted all efforts to adopt the amendment bill in the third reading. The difference is that this time the DPP faced not only dissenting voices within the party and angry roars of labor groups, but also the dissatisfaction of various circles in society vis-à-vis the Tsai government’s cavalier policy-making and flip-flopping.

 

In this time’s revision, people have also witnessed the apparent changes in political atmospherics; Tsai Ing-wen’s and Lai Ching-te's poll ratings both took a beating. If we say, in the revisions this time, Tsai Ing-wen let go, allowing Lai Ching-te to stage his show, it conversely proved that Lin Chuan’s revisions last year were impossible to implement and must be immediately corrected. However, with the President’s style of meddling in everything, though Lin Chuan was not blameless, could Tsai Ing-wen escape accountability? What is even more regrettable is that although Lai Ching-te was ordered to clean up the mess, he at the same time also committed the same mistake in rashly advancing in seeking a halo. The Cabinet made a policy-decision in a few short days and wanted the Legislative Yuan to pass the bill within a deadline, not leaving room for any communication or consultations. This arrogant and rash attitude is precisely the Achilles heel of Premier Lai.

 

Reviewing this Labor Standards Act, two great battles between the ruling and opposition parties have erupted in the past year. For management, the battles have hurt the tendons and bones; for labor, they have trampled on their feelings; for the government, it is inviting humiliation; for the general public, it is the bursting of trust. Just recall when the Tsai government first took office in May last year, how enormous were its ambitious and how pompous its utterances, receiving support wherever its will reached. Now today reexamining the Labor Standards Act, its thinking is as coarse as this, its actions are as cavalier as these, and its flip-flopping is as easy as this. Would this problem of not being able to make well-rounded policy-decisions only happen on the issue of the Labor Standards Act?

 

The two battles for the Labor Standards Act in the past year have destroyed Lin Chuan and wounded Lai Ching-te, and forced Tsai Ing-wen to show her true colors; how costly the price! However, does the Tsai government know how to open wide its ears?

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