青年勞動九五聯盟 Youth Labor Union 95

Group: Restaurants, chain stores violate wage rules
                                                                               
2007/3/24
                                                                               
The China Post staff
                                                                               
Responding to a request from an alliance of working students, the Council of
Labor Affairs (CLA) yesterday instructed local city and county governments to
investigate alleged unfair wage payments to working students who are not
permanent employees.

                                                                               
Members of the 95 Youth Labor Union called on officials of the Cabinet-level
CLA to ask for a formal probe into what they described as the unfair payments.
                                                                               
The 10 companies on their list are among the leading employers of students who
work part time. They include the five convenience stores -- 7-Eleven,
FamilyMart, HiLife, Nikomark and Circle K -- plus five fastfood restaurants--
McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Burger King, Mos Burger, and Subway.
                                                                               
They said the companies presently pay working students only NT$70 to NT$75 per hour with monthly payment ranging from NT$12,600 to NT$13,500 even when the students have logged in a total of 180 working hours as stipulated in labor rules.
                                                                               
Some employers even pay as little as NT$11,000 to students who worked for 180 hours during a whole month.
                                                                               
The students said they are not able to draw the minimum monthly wage of NT$
15,840, although they toil for same hours every month as regular staff who have the benefit of taking at least four days off per month.
                                                                               
This means the employers owe students "holiday wage," they said.
                                                                               
Leaders of the group said they will encourage all working students to ask for
back wages owed to them.
                                                                               
They said the CLA should also honor its repeated promises to review wages paid to Taiwan's part-time workers who are currently guaranteed a basic wage of only NT$66 per hour, just half of the NT$135 hourly pay in South Korea.
                                                                               
The CLA has failed to deliver what it promised two years ago, they said.
                                                                               
The government should no longer neglect the rights of the working students,
especially as CLA Chairman Lee Ying-yuan is pushing for an adjustment of the
basic monthly wage for regular workers, they added.
                                                                               
The 95 Youth Labor Union also urged the Legislative Yuan to prod the CLA into updating the relevant regulations, including raising the basic hourly wages,
especially those of large chain stores and restaurants.
                                                                               
Some employers named by the alliance said that they pay students in accordance
with the Labor Standards Law.
                                                                               
Mos Burger said the company now pays part-time workers at least NT$85 per hour with an average of NT$98, which covers the "holiday wage."
                                                                               
An executive of the 7-Eleven chain store said the company complies with
government regulations in terms of wage payments.
                                                                               
But there are still some differences between payments for part-time workers
and that of regular staff.
                                                                               
Nevertheless, he said, the company always pays working students the minimum
monthly wage of NT$15,840 when they have accumulated 180 working hours in a month-long period.