TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Labor unions staged a protest outside the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp. office on Thursday, expressing concerns over the unlawful reduction of paid leave entitlements.

The company, which operates the Taipei Metro, faced calls to revise labor contracts for outsourced cleaning staff. Unions demanded that workers’ vacation time be accurately calculated when contract terms change, per CNA.

Labor consultant Cheng Chung-jui (鄭中睿) highlighted a government survey that revealed the average years of service for all employees in Taiwan in 2023 was 6.4 years. In comparison, Taipei Metro's data shows that 889 outsourced cleaning workers, responsible for “non-core” duties, have an average service tenure of 8.21 years, surpassing the national average.

Notably, 354 of these workers have been employed for over 10 years, comprising nearly 40% of the workforce.

Under Taipei Metro's two-year contract cycle, workers’ seniority resets each time a new contractor is hired, reducing accrued vacation time. As a result, the loss of vacation days has led to a wage shortfall of about NT$3.29 million (US$102,734) based on an hourly wage of NT$190.

Cheng said that cleaning workers who change contractors, even those with 10 to 20 years of service, are typically granted only three days of vacation annually. The issue is pressing, as the current contractor has been in place for three years.

According to Taiwan’s labor regulations, workers who continue employment with the same employer for a specified period are entitled to special leave. Workers with six months to one year of service are entitled to three days of leave, while those with over three years of service are eligible for 14 days per year.

A workers union also pointed out that in 2019, the Public Construction Supervisory Task Force revised the labor contract template to mandate that vacation seniority be included for outsourced labor. The Control Yuan had recommended in a 2018 investigation report that Taipei Metro incorporate this clause into contracts.

In addition to addressing the vacation time issue, the union presented two demands, including an immediate audit of the seniority of all outsourced cleaning workers, with public disclosure of the results, and a proposal and timeline for transitioning outsourced cleaning personnel to direct employment.

Taipei Metro representatives met with the protesters and said they would take the demands under consideration.