Text by / MOOK Scenic Spots Home Travel Life Network Editorial Team, compiled and reported
In line with the implementation of the two-day weekend policy, the Ministry of Labor announced in late 2015 amendments to the Enforcement Rules of the Labor Standards Act, reducing the number of national holidays for workers from 19 to 12 days. The change took effect in 2016 and sparked controversy. Lawmakers demanded that the Ministry of Labor withdraw the administrative order and restore the seven-day holiday for workers. On June 21, 2016, the Ministry of Labor announced the amendment was invalid and reinstated the seven-day holiday.
The Ministry of Labor announced on June 21, 2016, that the amendment was invalid and the seven-day holiday was restored. (Image source / Lihpao Land)
The Ministry of Labor amended the Labor Standards Act in 2015 to remove the seven-day holiday, but the Legislative Yuan decided not to approve it and returned it to the Executive Yuan. On June 21, 2016, the Ministry of Labor announced that the amendment to the enforcement rules was invalid and reinstated the seven-day holiday. The remaining five national holidays this year include Teachers' Day on September 28, Taiwan Retrocession Day on October 25, Chiang Kai-shek's Birthday Memorial Day on October 31, Sun Yat-sen's Birthday Memorial Day on November 12, and Constitution Day on December 25.
If workers can reclaim the original seven-day holiday, they will have more flexibility to plan their 2017 travel schedules. According to the 2017 calendar, there are four or more consecutive days off including the spring break and Qingming holidays; there are also three or more consecutive days off for 228 Peace Memorial Day, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and National Day. If the seven-day holiday is reinstated, New Year’s Eve could offer four consecutive days off and Christmas could become a three-day holiday. Together with the other five holidays, the total number of rest days in 2017 would increase from 116 to 126.