President Ma Ying-jeou met on the morning of May 1 with persons from throughout Taiwan selected as outstanding laborers for 2014. Family members of the honorees were also on hand for the occasion. The president expressed gratitude for their outstanding contributions to the nation's economy, and emphasized that the government will continue with efforts to create a safe and dignified working environment for laborers.
In remarks, President Ma first applauded the outstanding laborers for their hard work, and said they constitute an important force for economic development and social stability. The president also thanked the family members for the support that enables the laborers to do their best at work without worries and help the nation to move forward.
President Ma stated that seven years ago when he first ran for presidency he unveiled a 24-item campaign platform on labor issues, and he commented that most of the goals he set forth have been implemented. Labor pension payouts, he said, have been raised to match payouts under the national pension system, the retirement age for laborers has been extended to 65, and a law for the protection of temp workers has been drafted so that they can be covered by the system that safeguards the rights and interests of labor.
President Ma mentioned that the entry into force on May 1, 2011 of amendments to Taiwan's three main labor laws – the Collective Agreement Act, the Act for Settlement of Labor-Management Disputes, and the Labor Union Act – marked an important milestone in the history of the labor movement in the ROC.
With respect to protection of the rights and interests of individual workers, the president stated, since he took office the central government has created a Labor Rights and Interests Fund and has been working via the Judicial Yuan's legal aid entity to help with court costs and provide legal aid to laborers who have been terminated under wrongful circumstances. In addition, he said, the government is also providing living expense subsidies to laborers while they litigate disputes with management and lawsuits associated with injuries suffered in the workplace.
President Ma also mentioned that on February 27 of this year the Executive Yuan's Council of Labor Affairs was reorganized as the Ministry of Labor to boost efficiency in implementing policy. At present, the ministry is working on a number of amendments to important labor laws. For instance, amendments are being made to the Labor Safety and Health Act, which will be renamed the Occupational Safety and Health Act, he said. This move, the president explained, will increase the number of individuals covered under this legislation to 10.67 million, up by 60% from the current 6.7 million, which means that even more workers will enjoy safe and healthy working environments. In addition, the government is working on a draft version of an Act for the Protection of Domestic Workers. The president added that the Ministry of Labor is also planning to draft a law governing occupational accident insurance. This law will ensure that all employed workers have coverage, will raise the maximum percentage of their salaries that can be covered, and will require that a portion of the premiums be set aside to fund measures to improve the prevention of occupational accidents and ensure better post-accident rehabilitation, he said.
As for the topic of adjusting the minimum wage, President Ma told the guests that the minimum wage has been hiked six times since he took office, for both monthly and hourly salaries. Starting on July 1 this year, he said, the minimum monthly wage will be hiked again to NT$19,273, up 11% from the NT$17,280 in 2008 when he took office. In addition, he noted, the minimum hourly wage was hiked on January 1 of this year to NT$115. In the future, increases will continue to be made based on economic trends and changes in the consumer price index, as well as the outcomes of wage negotiations between labor and management, he said.
Looking forward, President Ma stressed that the government will continue to work toward the three major objectives of "self-managed labor relations," "a fair labor environment," and "a fully developed labor market" to create a dignified labor environment for the nation's workers.
The president then touched on economic trends. He stated that the nation's composite economic indicator over the past three months has been in the "green light" stage. In addition, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics on April 30 this year announced that Taiwan's economic growth in the first quarter hit 3.04%, which signals that the economy has already begun a slow recovery, he said. President Ma also remarked that the World Bank recently announced data under its International Comparison Program, in which Taiwan's purchasing power parity (PPP), after adjustments, came to nearly US$40,000 per capita, which was higher than Japan and South Korea, mainly because the price level index (PLI) for Taiwan stood at 66.1, while the PLI for Japan reached 173.6 and was 99.4% for South Korea, he said. This, the president stated, indicates that prices are cheaper in Taiwan and people have less stress in shopping.
Lastly, President Ma said that the government will continue to create a stable economic environment and hopes that labor and enterprises can work together to make this year a "break-out" year for Taiwan's economy.