TRA disruptions for upcoming long holidays expected as union, MOTC talks fail HD

The Taiwan Railways Administration workers’ union has said that workers will not work upcoming holidays, and that it is not ruling out a full strike in November. The union and the transport ministry have failed to reach a consensus on workers’ pay and benefits, among other issues related to the planned corporatization of the TRA. If the two sides can’t work things out in time, the union says it may strike during November’s local elections, which may have a big impact on voter turnout. A refusal by railway workers to work during the Labor Day holiday back in May resulted in the transport ministry replacing trains with buses for the weekend. Now with the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays fast approaching, the railway union says workers may again refuse to work. It’s calling for roughly 1,500 train drivers nationwide to take the holidays off. Member of public During holidays people like to travel. Now with this type of thing happening, lots of people’s plans are going to be affected. Member of public When they suddenly stop working like this they may have their reasons, but for the public it’s very inconvenient. Members of the public express concerns about the impact of a potential railway disruption on holiday travel. Meanwhile, the union says the number of trains that will operate during the two upcoming holidays may be even smaller than the 18 services that were offered on Labor Day. The union says similar action may be taken during the local elections in November, and it will not rule out taking further action with a strike. Wu Chang-chih TRA union As for the local elections, on the day of the elections we will first go through legal procedures to obtain the right to vote. During local elections we will be taking more than just one day off. Member of public The voting rate is going to decline, because there are a lot of people from Southern Taiwan who have to go back. These workers can protect their rights, but they shouldn’t do it in a way that seems like they’re punishing everyone. Doing it this way burdens everyone. With concerns arising that the next disruption of train services may last more than just a single day, the transport ministry met with the union to discuss its concerns. However, when talks on the corporatization of the TRA turned to workers’ salaries and benefits, the two sides again reached an impasse. Su Tseng-chang Premier The Ministry of Transportation and Communications has already made promises to TRA workers regarding the company’s corporatization. Now let’s work together to win back the public trust. With the TRA union and the transport ministry still unable to reach a consensus workers’ pay and other issues, more railways disruptions may be on the horizon. Transport minister Wang Kwo-tsai says he will continue to pursue dialogue with the union.