Industrial relations context: 84 industrial unions were registered in 2012. Trade union density is 34.9 per cent.

Anti-union discrimination: A union officer at Yung Hwa factory owned by Kayaba Industry Co. Ltd and four union officers at Taiwan Airport Service Co. Ltd were dismissed by their employers in January and June 2012. The Council of Labour Affairs ordered the reinstatement of the dismissed workers, but management is not complying with this decision.

Exclusion from the right to collective bargaining: In January 2012, the Department of Labour in Taipei City declared that Master/PhD candidates employed as research and teaching staff by the National Taiwan University did not have the right to pursue collective bargaining with the National Taiwan University (NTU) because they did not have an employment relationship with the NTU. The Council of Labour Affairs asked the Department to review its decision in November 2012.

Although the revised Labour Union Act has no restriction prohibiting agency workers from joining or organising a trade union, the Collective Bargaining Act has no provision including agency workers under the scope of a collective agreement.

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