Taipei: The Taiwan Higher Education Union is taking steps to initiate collective bargaining with National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) by submitting a list of new member teachers from the university's Mandarin Training Center (MTC). This move aims to address ongoing labor disputes, a union leader stated on Monday.
According to Focus Taiwan, under the Collective Agreement Act, negotiations can be started if more than half of the employees in the bargaining unit are union members. Union Secretary-General Chang Chih-lun revealed that over two-thirds of MTC teachers have joined the union as of last Friday. The union plans to submit the list to NTNU shortly to commence the negotiation process.
Mandarin teachers at the MTC have recently protested their working conditions, highlighting the lack of basic rights under the Labor Standards Act, such as sick leave, marital leave, and annual leave. Chang emphasized that this discrepancy arises because MTC teachers are covered by the Labor Standards Act, unlike most NTNU staff who are governed by the Teachers' Act. This distinction was confirmed by a Ministry of Labor ruling in October 2024, yet NTNU has not adjusted its labor conditions accordingly.
Mandarin teacher Tu Kai expressed concerns at the protest that MTC teachers are hired on three-month contracts, which jeopardizes their job security. Additionally, teachers must pay for substitute teachers out of their own pocket if they need time off.
To tackle these issues, the protesters released a draft collective agreement demanding compliance with the Labor Standards Act, stable employment, transparent hiring and evaluation systems, and better salaries and treatment for teachers.
In response, NTNU acknowledged the union's legal bargaining status and stated that a team has been formed to review the union's draft agreement. The team will consider the practical needs of MTC teachers while ensuring student rights, educational stability, and the university's financial and administrative feasibility.