Dispatch Labor Comes Under Spotlight Following Attack|為省人事成本 公部門派遣.承攬氾濫

The issue of dispatch labor has now come under public scrutiny following the attack on Taipei City Department of Labor Commissioner Lai Hsiang-lin. Labor groups condemned the violence, and added that this attack was a warning sign.


Taipei Metro is known for its cleanliness, which can be attributed to the hard work of its cleaners. On Oct. 31, a former dispatch worker named Li Ming-yan attacked Taipei City Department of Labor Commissioner Lai Hsiang-lin over the issue of dispatch labor. He had previously reported Taipei Metro, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, CPC Corporation and other government entities for their contracted labor practices. Labor groups that previously had contact with Li say government entities are the first ones to misuse dispatch workers and contracted labor, which is a serious exploitation of their accumulated experience and working conditions.

From what I know, Taipei Metro's cleaners are employed through natural person contracts, so they are being severely exploited. From what I know about the situation of dispatch workers, it (Taipei Metro) is one of the worst, because the workers have to pay for their own cleaning equipment and supplies out of their wages, so they are essentially their own bosses. Perhaps Li Meng-yan was unable to accept this kind of practice.

Labor groups denounced violence, but said the main point of the incident is that atypical employment practices to save costs at government agencies have gotten out of control. They have also ignored the voices of laborers, and both Li and Lai are oppressed victims of this system. In response, Labor Minister Hsu Ming-chun said the dispatch labor issue cannot be solved overnight, but her ministry will seek to expand and amend laws to mandate equal pay for equal work for dispatch workers.

On the issue that co-workers should receive equal pay, which is something that everyone is concerned about, we will revise and expand related clauses as quickly as possible.

One of Li's complaints was that public sector outsourcing companies that violated the Labor Standards Act could continue bidding for contracts. Labor groups say the Enforcement Rules of the Government Procurement Act should be examined and prohibit lawbreakers from taking on new contracts. Hsu didn't address this issue directly, only saying there can be discussion on whether the companies receiving the workers should bear joint responsibility.