MAY DAY PROTEST AGAINST HOLIDAY CUTS, EMPLOYER LOOPHOLES|五一大遊行 勞團訴求反剝削.要年金保障

On May 1, Labor Groups took to the streets to mark Labor Day and to criticize President Tsai Ing-wen for cutting the seven national holidays and supporting employers after the amendment to the labor law was passed. The government has proposed a labor insurance pension reform, so that workers pay more, draw less and retire later. This leaves no basic pension protection for workers. Thus the May Day march this year was a protest with the main demands being to stop worker exploitation and protect pensions. Nearly 10,000 workers gathered in front of the Presidential Office for the May Dau march. This year it was a protest against President Tsai Ing-wen and her administration for cutting seven days' holiday, passing the labor law amendment in favor of employers and then waiting until July to review the amendment, in spite of the outcry and chaos it has produced. ==CHUANG FU-KAI 2017 May Day Alliance convenor== Our demands are to stop exploitation and gain protection. We want hourly wages and basic protection, when we retire we want a basic pension. The march, starting from Kategelan Boulevard protested government changes to the basic pension, with workers paying more, drawing less and delaying retirement, so that old age becomes more precarious for the majority of workers. ==MARCHER== The sedan chair is symbolic, workers need basic protection, as a bride needs to be welcomed, we just want basic protection. ==MARCHER== When we retire, if we are ill, I can't even pay for a carer because the basic pension is not adequate, now the pension for lowest basic wage is useless. In future it's likely that May Day marches will be concerned with government bodies and the central administration. For the first time this year, the marchers' destinations were employers headquarters, national trade unions federations and company headquarters where they protested against CEOs. ==CHUANG FU-KAI 2017 May Day Alliance convenor== Our main goal is for trades unions federations, company headquarters to hear our demands and not exploit use, we want them to use the Basic Labor Law and show some concern for workers' rights. The May Day Alliance is unhappy at the Tsai Ing-wen government joining up with employers against workers, including expanding change of working hours and categories of work to help employers maintain exploitative loopholes. There was no response from the Tsai administration, except that it respects workers' rights and is committed to industrial upgrading, so that labor income and working conditions continue to improve. TRANSLATED BY：CLARE LEAR