Taiwan Railways Company (TRC) workers have threatened to strike in response to the company’s plans to give out cash bonuses in the form of checks during the Mid-Autumn Festival. The company had pledged to give its employees cash bonuses specifically for the festival, but the current payment of the bonus by check has led to discontent among employees.
This suggests that railway workers continue to threaten to strike during major holidays. The issue of bonuses is a frequently discussed topic, especially during the holiday period, and is usually seen as a significant part of workers' salaries. At the end of the year, especially during the Lunar New Year, it is common for companies to give out year-end bonuses, and the amount is often negotiated. However, workers sometimes react when they feel that this practice is being used as a salary deduction.
It is less common for TRC to try to compensate workers with checks, so it is questionable whether this incident will set a precedent in the transportation sector. Also causing concern among workers is the conversion of Taiwan Railways to a state-owned enterprise. Workers fear the change will increase the risk of losing their civil service benefits. The situation is made worse by safety concerns and the decline in workers, coupled with increasing passenger numbers.
One of the reasons the state supports the corporatization of TRA is its lack of profitability and rising debt. While the government claims that TRA will be profitable by 2026, workers are skeptical of such plans. Furthermore, the TRC management’s 40% salary increase and the increase in salaries of management staff have caused anger among workers.
The possibility of a future strike is becoming more apparent as tensions between management and workers grow, but it is not yet clear what exactly will trigger the strike.
