Public Workers Demand Workplace Safety Protections

Firefighters, police and other workers rally in Taipei for the same workplace protections private sector workers enjoy.

Transcript

00:00Firefighters, police, law clerks and prison staff rally outside the legislature in Taipei.

00:06A collective push for labor rights is what's brought them together.

00:09As public employees, they're not allowed unions, nor does the workplace safety law that protects

00:14ordinary workers apply to them.

00:16But they say a string of deaths this year shows this arrangement doesn't work.

00:21There's the pair of firefighters killed when their oxygen tanks ran empty.

00:24There's the legal clerk who allegedly died from overwork.

00:27And there have been suicides too, raising concerns about mental health.

00:31In all, 14 public servants have died since New Year's Day.

00:35This rally of several dozen is a memorial to them, but also a call to action.

00:41After a moment of silence for the dead, there are testimonials about the hardships and sometimes

00:45the dangers workers in these fields face.

00:57Though this labor rights movement is political, it's not about partisanship.

01:13As early as last year's presidential race, firefighters had asked all candidates to back

01:17their push for unions and safety rules.

01:20Today too, officials and lawmakers of all party backgrounds have been invited to speak.

01:24Three chairs have even been set aside for representatives for the cabinet, the labor

01:28ministry and the body in charge of exams for civil servants.

01:32But the invited officials are no-shows.

01:35And only one of Taiwan's big three parties has sent someone to speak.

01:39This speaker from the main opposition Kuomintang is upset at the lack of turnout from his colleagues.

01:54But after years of pushing for unions and labor protections, these activists say they've

02:09learned not to expect an enthusiastic response from officials.

02:13Still, they have a message for those in power.

02:39Before the gathering disperses, supporters lay candles on a table to spell out the word

02:43safety.

02:45They hope this small but concrete summary of their demands right outside the legislature

02:49will leave an impression on those inside, and win them the labor rights they seek before

02:54the next accident.

02:56Patrick Chen and John Van Triest for Taiwan Plus.