At the inauguration ceremony of the Ministry of Labor (MOL) this morning, Premier Jiang Yi-huah stated that the upgrade of the Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) to a ministry signifies the nation's solemn pledge to the country's workers that the government will formulate policies to safeguard their interests. He then called on all sectors to make greater efforts on behalf of the workforce.
The specialized and proactive MOL will have greater responsibilities and an extended scope of operations, said the premier, who officiated the ceremony together with President Ma Ying-jeou. The ministry's duties will encompass protecting workers' fundamental rights and interests, enhancing labor standards and welfare, generating job opportunities and raising wages, and it will work hand-in-hand with the Executive Yuan's various ministries and the business sector on these objectives, Jiang pointed out.
Minister Pan Shih-wei is the ideal choice to lead the CLA's transition to the MOL, as he hails from the grassroots and deeply understands the labor sector and what should be done to expand labor policy, Jiang remarked.
The Executive Yuan's various ministries will all extend active support to the MOL to help workers improve their livelihoods, the premier pledged. "The protection of laborers' rights and interests cannot rely solely on the MOL, just like increasing the nation's economic growth or reducing its unemployment rate cannot be the responsibility of a single ministry," he remarked. "These are duties for all the ministries under the Executive Yuan.
"For example, the Ministry of National Defense could allow enlisted soldiers or career officers to receive job training before they are discharged to learn skills needed by society. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, meanwhile, could improve the economic climate by signing economic cooperation agreements with other countries, encouraging businesses to invest in Taiwan and offer more job opportunities. The government is an organic entity, and its agencies must work together for the sake of the nation."
In addition to congratulating the MOL on its establishment, the premier thanked the CLA's past leaders and staff for laying the foundation for and contributing to workers' rights and interests.
The creation of the ministry is part of the overall restructuring of the national government which President Ma had a role in planning when he served as chairman of the Research, Development and Evaluation Commission (RDEC) from 1988 to 1991, Jiang said. Upon Ma's election as president in 2008, the RDEC (which was merged into the National Development Council earlier this year as another part of this restructuring) was immediately charged with promoting the effort, which will reduce the number of Cabinet-level agencies from 37 to 29 in order to save manpower and improve efficacy.