On the morning of the 5th, the Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee of the Legislative Yuan reviewed the “One Case, One Rest” version of the Labor Standards Act amendment. However, before the meeting even began, the two major parties clashed while vying for control of the chairperson’s podium. Legislators and media personnel surged forward as KMT Caucus Convener Liao Kuo-tung and DPP Caucus Secretary-General Wu Ping-jui pushed and shoved each other. KMT Legislator Lee Yen-hsi shouted at the top of her lungs, “Wu Ping-jui is hitting people!”
⏱️ Chen Ying’s “One-Minute Ying” Rapid Approval
Committee Chair Chen Ying forcibly opened the meeting at 9:00 AM. As staff members read the clauses at lightning speed, Chen announced the completion of the review around 9:15 AM. Ultimately, the “One Case, One Rest” amendment successfully cleared the committee amidst total chaos.
After the meeting adjourned, DPP legislators appeared pleased, while KMT legislators slammed the forced passage and chanted, “The meeting is invalid!” KMT Legislator Johnny Chiang remarked:
“Back then we had ‘Half-Minute Chung,’ and now you have ‘One-Minute Ying.’”
This comment mocked Chen for spending such a short amount of time sending the bill out of the committee, criticizing the tactics as heavy-handed.
💬 Commentary: Have Social Movement Groups Lost Their Backing?
Despite strong resistance from labor unions, the DPP forcibly passed the “One Case, One Rest” amendment draft. Whether this move will trigger social groups to take to the streets again remains a subject of polarized debate.
Some observers believe that social movement groups have only operated smoothly in recent years due to strong organized support behind the scenes. However, it is now evident that these groups have lost their biggest backer. Whether they will return to the era of low social activism seen during the Chen Shui-bian administration—becoming little more than ‘dogs barking at a train’—is perhaps only a matter of time.