Taiwan train service back on track after workers' May Day walkout

Taiwan Correspondent In Taipei Taiwan's trains resumed operations yesterday after an islandwide walkout on May Day by employees of the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA), the government-owned train operator.

- Katherine Wei

But union members warned of more walkouts if disputes over TRA reform plans continue.

At least 13,000 of the TRA'S 16,000 employees participated in the walkout, protesting against the central government's decision to turn the state-run railway agency into a state-run corporation without consulting the staff.

The Taiwan Railway Labour Union (TRLU), the National Train Drivers' Union and the Taiwan Railway Union (TRU) organised the walkout after the Cabinet approved on March 3 a draft Bill aiming to convert the agency into a state-run corporation.

The unions are also protesting over how the agency's NT$400 billion (S$18.8 billion) debt will be handled, ticket price hikes and employee benefits.

The draft Bill maintains that the TRA will still be run by the government, and that there will be a fund from the Transportation Ministry to cover a chunk of the TRA's debt, about NT$148.4 billion.

In response, the TRLU argued that all of the agency's debt should be assumed by the government, rather than passing it on to the new company - which is also proposed in the draft Bill.