ROC President Ma Ying-jeou hailed the launch of Taiwan’s first-ever teacher’s union as great step forward in bolstering human rights protection enshrined in the ROC Constitution.
“Teaching is a profession of conscience and the well-being and rights of these individuals should be protected so as to improve Taiwan’s education environment,” Ma said July 11 at the union’s inauguration ceremony in Taipei.
The National Teachers’ Union, formerly the National Teachers’ Association, was established in accordance with amendments to the Labor Union Act. Passed June 1, 2010, by the Legislature, the landmark legislation gave millions of Taiwanese workers the long-denied right to unionize.
Council of Labor Affairs Minister Wang Ju-hsuan praised teachers for forming their new union but reminded them they did not have the right to strike. “This is due to a student’s right to receive an uninterrupted education,” she said.
“But in the long run, teachers may be granted this right,” Wang said, adding that at present, any disputes will be resolved through a CLA-overseen arbitration process.
Deputy Minister of Education Lin Tsong-ming, however, expressed reservations.
“First and foremost, the teachers’ union is expected to protect a student’s right to education,” Lin said. “It is only on this basis we can address teachers’ labor rights.”
The National Students’ Parents Association also appealed to the teachers’ union to act responsibly for the greater good of Taiwanese society.
“We support teachers setting up their union to secure improved working conditions but not at the cost of student education,” an association representative said.