Taiwan Railway Labor Union Mulling a Lunar New Year Strike 不滿公司化子法 企工:春節要讓火車停下來

Bookings for the holiday train tickets on the TRA's Eastern Trunk Line began at 12 a.m. on Dec. 21. While the Taiwan Railway Labor Union is again mulling a holiday strike, MOTC Minister Wang Kwo-tsai promised to keep the holiday transport as scheduled during the Lunar New Year.

Wu Chang-chih, Secretary, Taiwan Railway Labor Union: “If railway safety issues are not resolved, we will go on a complete strike during the Lunar New Year holidays. We need to have a good talk with the Ministry of Transportation and Communications.”

Bookings for the Lunar New Year train tickets began on the 21st. The Taiwan Railway Labor Union, however, is dissatisfied with not being consulted on safety issues relating to the corporatization of the Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) and is mulling a holiday strike. Lawmakers asked the Transportation and Communications minister during a legislative session whether rail replacement bus service will be provided again.

Chen Jiau-hua, Legislator (NPP): “So there won't be rail replacement buses during the Lunar New Year holidays? Is that right?”
Wang Kwo-tsai, Minister, MOTC: “There won't be a situation with no trains available.”
Chen Jiau-hua, Legislator (NPP): “There won't be a situation with no trains. Is there a possibility that train schedules will be affected? Yeah? ”

Wang Kwo-tsai, Minister, MOTC: “No, it will go according to schedule.”

Lee Kun-tse, Legislator (DPP): “It looks like the strike will happen, from Minister Wang's response. I think citizens will question and wonder what the situation will be. ”
Wang Kwo-tsai, Minister, MOTC: “Trains should be operating without any problems during the Lunar New Year.”

MOTC Minister Wang Kwo-tsai said the ministry is now communicating with the union to work things out. Specifically, union members said they were not consulted in regard to the proposed vehicle-maintenance regulation under the corporate structure. The latest regulation stated that the TRA is to pay for the first and second levels of maintenance, whereas the MOTC is to pay for the third and fourth levels of maintenance. As a result, the TRA will be operating at a huge loss of having to spend NT$2.1 billion each year on maintenance. The union said the MOTC should take on more responsibility and allocate budget into paying for the second level of maintenance as well.

Wang Kwo-tsai, Minister, MOTC: “Negotiation has been smooth and both sides have been rational. Both want the best for TRA. It's kind of like a family argument, so let's get it fixed soon.”

The MOTC said the proposed vehicle-maintenance regulation is not final and they will continue communicating and coordinating with the union so that holiday transportation can go according to schedule.

台鐵企業工會秘書吳長智說：「不安全的情況下，我們春節的部分完完全全把列車停下來，然後讓我們跟交通部好好談。」

台鐵春節訂票開賣之際，台鐵企業工會喊出，因交通部預告的子法內容，可能讓鐵路安全打折，春節要讓火車停下來，引發譁然。朝野立委關切交通部，是否春節又要出現「類火車」。

立委陳椒華詢問：「所以春節不會有類火車，對嗎？」

交通部長王國材回應：「就不會有沒有火車搭。」

陳椒華追問：「所以有可能火車的班次，有可能會受影響，是嗎？」

王國材說：「也不是，就是按照現在訂票的狀況。」

立委李昆澤指出：「其實好像是已經蓄勢待發了，相關的罷工，跟部長今天的回應，我覺得民眾會質疑，相關確實的狀況到底是如何。」

交通部長王國材表示：「在春節期間的火車應該是沒有問題。」

王國材解釋，已經致電工會溝通，了解工會不滿的原因，是因為交通部預告的子法當中，將維修保養分4級，其中第1、2級需要由台鐵自行負擔費用，與母法的重大維修由交通部維修精神不符合，也讓台鐵一年要支出21億元，將造成嚴重虧損。目前會考慮會把2級維修中部分項目拉出來，由交通部編列預算。

交通部長王國材說：「這段時間跟工會的協商，雙方都是理性，希望這個公司更好的一個狀況。那偶爾有一點像家人吵架一樣，我想說馬上我們就趕快把它化解。」

交通部表示，預告不是公告，原本就是讓各界表達意見，會持續與工會溝通後來修正，並掛保證，春節鐵路疏運會按照班表開行。