TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — An estimated 5,000 people gathered near the Presidential Office Building on Labor Day Thursday to demand more days off and to protest against bullying.
While most employees in the private sector had the day off, teachers and government staffers still had to show up for work. One of the protest’s demands was to reduce working time and have more days off, per UDN.
The protesters performed a skit to criticize Labor Minister Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) and Health and Welfare Minister Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) for supporting the demand for more holidays while serving as legislators but dropping it when they joined the Cabinet. Demands for higher wages to counter inflation and for reliable retirement pay also featured prominently in the event.
Organizers reminded the protesters of a case of bullying at the Ministry of Labor last year, when abusive behavior by a ministry official toward her subordinates came to light following the suicide of a staffer. The incident showed the need for impartial parties and labor representatives to deal with bullying, while employers should not be allowed to intimidate victims, protest leaders said.
If the government cannot meet the May Day protest demands, this would also amount to a form of bullying, according to the organizers.
