Mayor’s Remarks:
1. The 2018 Taiwan International Orchid Show was successfully concluded
(1) The 2018 Taiwan International Orchid Show (TIOS) was successfully concluded on Monday (March 12). Many iconic leaders took part in the 2018 TIOS. Vice President Chen and ambassadors and representatives stationed in Taiwan attended the opening ceremony. Last Saturday, Premier Lai took time out of his busy schedule and visited the venue to express his care for local industry development and to recognize the hard work of everyone who has contributed to Taiwan’s orchid industry.
(2) The TIOS is one of the three major international orchid shows in the world. With Taiwan’s firm industry chain, outstanding R&D technology, and strong cross-industry collaborations, orchid exports have grown over the years. Each year, more than 210,000 domestic and international tourists visit the TIOS, creating business opportunities amounting to tens of billions of New Taiwan dollars. Visitors, buyers, experts, and scholars from 44 countries participated in this 2018 TIOS, making this year’s show the most internationalized among all previous TIOSs.
(3) In addition to central government authorities, such as the Council of Agriculture and Ministry of Economic Affairs; orchid businesses associated with the Taiwan Orchid Growers Association; and local government departments, including the Agriculture Bureau, Bureau of Economic Development, Department of Information and International Relations, Bureau of Transportation, Tourism Bureau, Cultural Affairs Bureau, and Bureau of Civil Affairs, have all contributed to the success of the 2018 TIOS. Without a doubt, visitors who attended the TIOS in Houbi District felt the professionalism and enthusiasm of Tainan. Once again, I would like to thank all colleagues involved in the organization of the 2018 TIOS. I encourage everyone to take on a greater perspective and see your work as a major contributing factor in Tainan’s development.
2. The next regular plenary meeting of the City Council is about to begin; please make preparations accordingly
The seventh regular plenary meeting of the current session will officially begin on March 20. During the interpellation session, councilors will raise questions concerning the operations and bills proposed by various departments within the Tainan City Government. In preparation for the councilors’ questions, I would like to ask all departments to adopt a proactive attitude in gaining a better understanding of relevant issues and communicate directly and efficiently. By doing so, citizens will also have a better understanding of how the Tainan City Government is working to promote policies.
3. Conducting an overview of administrative outcomes and resolving longstanding problems
The current mayor’s term is coming to an end. With the leadership of former Mayor Lai and with the efforts of various departments, the Tainan City Government has executed and fulfilled many major infrastructure projects and policies. The efforts of the Tainan City Government have gained the recognition of Tainan’s citizens, as well as residents from all around Taiwan. I would like to ask the departments to continue to review the progress and outcome of relevant policies and to strive to resolve the few longstanding problems that the Tainan City Government faces. If possible, please resolve these problems before the end of the current mayor’s term. Please refrain from passively leaving these problems to be resolved in the next term. Heads of departments are encouraged to propose problems in the Tainan City Government’s group chat, where everyone can brainstorm and think of solutions.
Announcements
1. The Labor Affairs Bureau’s report on the Labor Inspection Center project (refer to written sources for details)
Decision: Approved for reference filing.
Mayor’s Remarks:
(1) To ensure that labor conditions and work environments comply with labor laws, the Tainan City Government has enhanced its labor inspections. The Labor Inspection Center was established on January 1 of last year. In accordance with the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Tainan City Government enforced its supervisory and inspection authority at eight major industrial zones in Tainan City after having gained approval from the Ministry of Labor in last September, thereby reinforcing labor safety and health within Tainan City.
(2) The responsibilities of the Labor Inspection Center include legal interpretation and promotion services, labor condition inspections, and occupational safety and health inspections. After the center was established, the Labor Affairs Bureau began proactively counseling businesses within its jurisdiction to abide by the Labor Standards Act. Furthermore, the Labor Inspection Center continues to strengthen its counseling and inspection mechanisms to ensure collaboration from businesses, guarantee occupational safety, and safeguard labor rights.
(3) Regarding administrative efficiency, 3,932 labor inspections have taken place since the center was established in 2017. A total of 930 violations were found, with fines amounting to NTD $38,022,000. Thirty-four promotional events and one forum involving exchanges between industries, the government, academia, and labor were held. As of the beginning of 2018, the Labor Inspection Center has conducted a Chinese New Year labor safety inspection and hosted several labor rights promotion events. Furthermore, the Tainan City Government is scheduled to conduct 13,500 labor inspections, a number that is 2.4 times higher than that of the previous year.
(4) Safeguarding labor rights is a foundation for social progress. Scattered reports claiming that Tainan City has poor labor conditions had previously surfaced on online forums, the PTT (Taiwan’s most popular online bulletin board system), and in the media. The Labor Affair’s Bureau has accepted these opinions with humility and since taken a more active approach in investigating relevant cases and providing counseling. In future, with the central government’s support, the Tainan City Government will employ comprehensive plans and stringent law enforcement, thereby continuing to enhance and safeguard laborers’ basic human rights, improving Tainan City’s labor conditions with practical approaches, and cultivating a work environment that benefits sustainable businesses while creating a win-win situation for both management and labor.