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進入《TAIPEI TIMES 焦點》 KMT stalls confirmation of bill review
Chinese Nationalist Party （KMT） Legislatior Lin Te-fu, right, and Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wu Kuen-yuh yesterday fight during a meeting of the legislature’s Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei. Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
HEADLOCK: A legislative committee meeting became physical at times, with KMT Legislator Lin Te-fu holding the DPP’s Wu Kun-yuh in a headlock during a commotion
By Chen Wei-han / Staff reporter
Chinese Nationalist Party （KMT） legislators yesterday disrupted a meeting of the legislature’s Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee to prevent the confirmation of a review of a controversial amendment to the Labor Standards Act （勞動基準法）, while the Democratic Progressive Party （DPP） caucus reiterated the benefits and necessity of the legislation.
The amendment, which would cancel seven public holidays and implement a five-day workweek with one mandatory day off and a “flexible rest day,” was reviewed in a meeting of the committee on Oct. 5.
The KMT and New Power Party （NPP） caucuses have claimed that the Oct. 5 meeting was illegitimate and vowed to block the legislation, saying that DPP lawmakers rushed through the proceedings and declared the review finished in less than two minutes.
Confirmation of the minutes of the Oct. 5 meeting was to be made during yesterday’s meeting, but KMT legislators occupied the committee convener’s podium to disrupt proceedings, with KMT Legislator Lin Te-fu （林德福） holding DPP Legislator Wu Kun-yuh （吳焜裕） in a headlock at one point.
The meeting was stalled, despite negotiation attempts by NPP caucus whip Hsu Yung-ming （徐永明） and DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming （柯建銘）, who left a note agreeing not to deal with the Oct. 5 minutes in yesterday’s meeting.
KMT Legislator Alicia Wang （王育敏） said the Oct. 5 meeting was procedurally flawed, as the DPP rushed through the review of the amendment without subjecting it to debate, with committee co-convener and DPP Legislator Chen Ying （陳瑩） ignoring opposition lawmakers’ requests to debate the bill.
“The KMT was not boycotting the meeting, but attempting to protect workers’ rights and uphold legislative integrity,” Wang said.
KMT Legislator Lee Yan-hsiu （李彥秀）, who said not even Legislative Speaker Su Jia-chyuan （蘇嘉全） could confirm the validity of the Oct. 5 meeting during cross-party negotiations, urged the DPP caucus to return the amendment to the committee and convene public hearings about the issue.
In a post-meeting news conference, the DPP caucus reaffirmed the procedural integrity of the controversial meeting and accused the KMT of disrupting legislative order.
DPP caucus chief executive Wu Ping-jui （吳秉叡） said the DPP had agreed to review the meeting records and guaranteed that opposition parties could raise motions and object to the amendment, but the KMT nevertheless obstructed the meeting and asked the DPP not to hold a vote to confirm the review.
“The DPP is open to debate if it is carried out in accordance with legislative procedure. We will not accept any preconditions to hold meetings,” Wu said.
“The amendment will benefit the public and is definitely more progressive than existing labor law. Although not everyone is satisfied with the degree of progress [in improving labor rights], at least it is some progress,” he said.
Chen, who has been criticized for chairing the controversial meeting, said she conducted the meeting in accordance with procedures.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
