Strikes at Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) stations in northeastern Taiwan might affect travelers on the Tomb Sweeping Day long weekend on April 2 to April 5, the Yilan branch of the TRA labor union said on Friday.
At least 200 union members would go on strike to protest the railway agency’s unilateral proposal to adjust working hours, which would lead to reduced incomes for its employees, said Wu Chun-yi (吳俊義), who heads the branch.
The branch has 1,200 members, including train drivers, train conductors, technicians, maintenance workers and ticketing agents. Of them, 300 are station workers.
About two-thirds of all station workers in
2021/03/13 10:49 TRA train TRA train (CNA photo) TAIPEI (Taiwan News) Nearly 200 employees at Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) are refusing to work overtime during the upcoming Tomb Sweeping Holiday as part of a protest over reduced salaries. Speaking to CNA in a phone interview on Friday (March 12), Wu Chun-yi (吳俊義), head of the TRA Union s Yilan Branch, said workers have lost up to NT$9,000 (US$320) a month due to a new work schedule implemented by the Taiwan railway operator in August 2020. He said the change in TRA s shift system has prevented them from receiving overtime pay. According to Wu, close to 200 union members have signed up to participate in the protest and are planning to take a leave of absence between April 2-4. Since workers are not allowed to work overtime on non-holidays, they should not be asked to work overtime during the holidays, he said.
Planned TRA strike may affect Tomb Sweeping Festival traffic
03/13/2021 04:28 PM
A TRA train pulls into a station. CNA file photo
Taipei, March 13 (CNA) Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) union members who handle station services in northeastern Taiwan are planning to strike during the April 2-5 Tomb Sweeping Festival, creating uncertainty for holiday rail traffic in the region.
The strike will involve at least 200 members from the Taiwan Railway Labor Union s Yilan branch protesting the TRA s unilateral proposal to adjust work shifts in a way that would reduce their incomes, according to branch head Wu Chun-yi (吳俊義).
The branch has 1,200 members, including train drivers, train conductors, technicians, maintenance workers, and ticketing agents, covering some 20 stations in northeastern Taiwan. Of them, 300 are station workers.