NPP officials vow to advocate labor rights in legislature

By Abraham Gerber  /  Staff reporter

New Power Party (NPP) officials yesterday promised to promote labor rights if the party wins legislative seats, signing a white paper on labor issues with representatives of the Taiwan Labor Rights Promotion Association.

NPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) blasted the Judicial Yuan for its resistance to establishing a specialized labor dispute court, stating that there was a “high wall” preventing workers from seeking justice in courts.

“Why do we have a specialized court for intellectual property rights when we are unwilling to set one up for labor?” he asked, adding that the number of labor dispute cases was already several times greater than those for intellectual property.

He was accompanied by roughly 25 members of the association, a national union alliance.

The white paper also included promises to limit the use of temporary labor while guaranteeing contractual workers complete labor rights. The party also agreed to the passing of a minimum wage law in place of the current review system and to push for unions to be allowed to conduct joint strikes, as well as promising to support the calling of a national conference on pension reform.

Association president Wu Shi-che (吳世哲) said poor government policies had convinced his group that there was a need for “new energy” in the Legislative Yuan, but declined to give the NPP his full endorsement, adding that he would respect the decision of any member unions to encourage workers to support the party.

“We are still waiting expectantly to see how everyone responds to our policies in the coming days, including their specific promises and specific positions,” Huang said, adding that the association has yet to decide how to encourage its members to cast their ballots.

The NPP has not held a news conference with rival Green Party-Social Democratic Party Alliance, because alliance co-convener Fan Yun (范雲) has not responded to their demands.

Association vice president Chang Cheng-chieh (張正杰) said they would be willing to support any party who was willing to commit to their platform.

The alliance has also been striving to attract the labor vote, receiving endorsements from dozens of unions at a rally last weekend.

Huang declined to comment on differences between the NPP and the alliance’s labor policy platforms, saying that comparing the parties would not fit the NPP’s “style.”

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