Building good labor relations will lay an essential groundwork for Taiwan's economic growth while creating a win-win situation for workers and employers, Premier Chang San-cheng said today.
"Workers are the driving force of the economy, and collective agreements are the basis for harmonious labor relations," he said.
Premier Chang made the remarks at a 2016 Labor Day ceremony honoring outstanding workers as well as businesses that have signed collective agreements with their employees. Labor Day will be observed May 1 in Taiwan.
The key to protecting workers rights is a positive relationship between workers and management, and collective bargaining is an important means for building that type of relationship, the premier added. He hoped growing businesses can learn from today's winners and take good care of their employees when they have succeeded.
The premier thanked workers and employers for their contributions and hard work as Taiwan faces a myriad of international economic challenges. He presented awards to 51 outstanding workers from across the nation and representatives from 32 organizations signing collective agreements.
Since 2008, Taiwan has implemented most of the 24 labor policies proposed by President Ma Ying-jeou, said the Ministry of Labor. For instance, major changes to the three labor laws—the Labor Union Act, the Collective Agreement Act, and the Act for Settlement of Labor-Management Disputes—were made in 2011 and put into force May 1 that year, ushering in a new era for Taiwan's labor relations laws.