In line with the Executive Yuan's organizational restructuring, the Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) has been upgraded to the Ministry of Labor (MOL). The Executive Yuan announced today that the Minister of Labor will be Pan Shih-wei, who had been leading the CLA, and former CLA Political Deputy Minister Hao Feng-ming and CLA Counselor Chen I-min will be the MOL's two political deputy ministers.
Chen I-min is a Hakka native of Miaoli County in central Taiwan. He worked his way up from the grassroots and has already accumulated 30 years of administrative experience. Prior to becoming counselor, he had served as director of the CLA's Department of Labor Standards (DLS), director-general of the CLA's Bureau of Employment and Vocational Training, president and chief executive officer of the CLA's Bureau of Labor Insurance.
The Executive Yuan noted Chen has played a crucial role in establishing Taiwan's labor standards and promoting labor rights and welfare. During his service at the DLS, he extended protection under the Labor Standards Act (LSA) to workers in the banking sector and opened the door for laborers in other industries to come under the act's protection as well. In addition, he introduced a new labor pension scheme featuring portable individual accounts, allowing workers to change jobs without affecting their future pension benefits.
With his amicable personality and skills at negotiation and coordination, Chen will assist the Minister of Labor in implementing major policies and helping workers gain greater rights and welfare, officials said.