Labor Day march calls for improved working conditions

Taipei, May 1 (CNA) Labor groups took to the streets in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei on Thursday, calling on President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) and his administration to improve working conditions for Taiwanese workers.

The demonstration was marked by participants' demands for protection against workplace bullying -- an issue that drew national attention after a Ministry of Labor (MOL) staffer died by suicide in November 2024, allegedly due to abuse by Hsieh Yi-jung (謝宜容), a former MOL official.

Hsieh, who headed the New Taipei office of the MOL's Workforce Development Agency in 2023-24, was dismissed after receiving two major demerits.

In addition to anti-bullying protections, labor groups also called for shorter working hours, higher wages, and a more stable labor supply, among other demands.

According to Ministry of Labor data, Taiwanese workers continue to log the second-highest average annual working hours in Asia, behind only Singapore.

At a news conference on Wednesday, Taiwan People's Party lawmaker Chang Chi-kai (張啓楷) noted that the figure rose to 2,030.4 hours in 2024, up from 2,008 in 2022 and 2,019 in 2023.

Tai Kuo-jung (戴國榮), president of the Taiwan Confederation of Trade Unions, said labor groups had been making similar demands for years, but the government had yet to respond.

"It's no different from bullying workers from all walks of life when the government fails to act on these demands," he said.