FIRST PHASE WATER RATIONING IN SOUTH TIGHTENED|南部一階限水 中油暫停洗車.工讀生工時減

Water shortage continues in southern Taiwan and phase-one water rationing has been implemented in various cities and counties. In response to the government's water rationing plan, the CPC will no longer offer car wash services at its gas stations in areas facing water restrictions. Student workers who used to provide car wash services at a gas station are now selling pineapples in response to their company's policy to save water. Earlier in April, The Chinese Petroleum Corporation announced it would reduce water pressure at night. Starting from Apr.6, gas stations in areas which have adopted phase one water rationing stopped providing car wash services, leaving many student workers literally nothing to do. == HAN MING-TSUNG Dep. Manager, gas station == Student workers won't be left idle in this way. By selling pineapples, we can also increase profits. A gas station in Kaohsiung, whose car wash services proved popular with customers, has suffered the impact of the service cut. As the workload decreases, student workers are forced to cut their working hours, earning only half of what they used to. To solve the problem, the gas station manager came up with the idea of selling pineapples. The 10 student workers now work the same hours as before, and sell fruit when they are not washing cars. ==CUSTOMER== I think it is a good idea. Nowadays, even convenience stores are selling fresh-made drinks. Although some of the gas stations still chose to cut their workers' working hours, the CPC said that they have asked all its gas stations to give their student workers other tasks, such as cleaning. The Kaohsiung City Government Labor Affairs Bureau said that a company has to receive consent from its workers before changing their work conditions. == LO YUNG-HSIN Section Chief, Kaohsiung City Govt. Labor Affairs Bureau == If employers unilaterally change the working agreement, including cutting working hours, thus refuse to pay their employees, then they may be acting illegally. According to government regulations, water restrictions will only be imposed on car wash businesses during phase-two water rationing. TRANSLATED BY ARIEL HSIEH 南部水情吃緊，目前全台進入一階段限水的縣市，還有嘉義、台南、高雄，而在這個月初，中油決定要帶頭省水，宣布只要是1階限水的縣市，暫時不提供洗車服務，不過也讓某些工讀生工時因此縮減。 正在切鳳梨的工讀生，動作看起來很生澀，原來他們都是中油加油站洗車部的工讀生，洗車工讀生改賣鳳梨，全都因為從四月六號起，中油為了帶頭節水，宣布就算只是進入1階段、夜間減壓供水，該縣市的加油站就停止洗車服務，因此讓南部不少洗車部工讀生、沒事可做。 ==加油站副站長 韓明璁== （工讀生)不會說 在那邊晃來晃去 然後可以藉由賣鳳梨 然後增加我們的多角化收入 停止洗車，讓高雄青年路這間加油站，受到很大的衝擊，站內洗車部生意好，光工讀生就有10人，然而停止洗車，讓工作量大減，工讀生必須縮減工時，有人少掉一半薪水，也因此站長想出賣鳳梨的辦法，讓他們有事做，恢復正常時數。 ==民眾== 這樣很好啊 便利商店都可以賣手搖茶了 中油表示，的確有部份油站，因為不洗車縮減工時，但已要求各站，讓洗車部工讀生轉做環境清潔等其他工作。高雄市勞工局提醒業者，若因營運問題要縮減工時，也得徵求勞工同意。 ==高市勞局勞動條件科長 羅永新== 勞工跟僱主之間 有許多工時的約定 如果雇主片面去變更 例如剛剛所說的 縮減(勞工)他的工作時間 而拒絕給付報酬 那可能就會有觸法的疑義 依規定，洗車業的限制用水，要到第2階段限水才會啟動。中油提前抗旱，早一步停止洗車服務，沒想到為了省水，卻反而造成自家工讀生因此收入減少。 記者 王柔婷 孟昭權 高雄報導