Proposal to grant parents pandemic-leave subsidiesBy Chen Yun and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerLegislators across party lines yesterday proposed an amendment that would grant COVID-19 pandemic-related leave subsidies to parents, potentially totaling up to NT$10 billion (US$357 million). Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Lai Hsiang-ling, left, speaks to the media at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday about proposed amendments granting COVID-19 pandemic-related leave subsidies to parents. The companies’ requests contravene workers’ rights, Lai said, but added that many small and medium-sized firms could not afford to grant their workers special leave. “It highlights the necessity of writing into law the rights of workers to take pandemic-related special leave bolstered by subsidy payments,” Lai said. The bill, signed by 21 legislators across party lines, was sponsored by Lai, TPP Legislator Jang Chyi-lu (張其祿), Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Liu Chien-kuo (劉建國) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Yang Chiung-ying (楊瓊瓔).

Source: Taipei Times May 20, 2021 15:56 UTC