Taipei: Taiwan Railway Union (TRU) representatives initiated a hunger strike at the Taipei train station to express their discontent with a Supreme Administrative Court ruling that opposed workers’ legal right to take leave. The protest commenced at 10 a.m. on Thursday and is scheduled to continue until 2 p.m. on Monday, as announced by the union during a press conference at Taipei station.

According to Focus Taiwan, the controversy dates back to 2017 when 337 union members faced reprimands from the then-state-run Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA), now known as Taiwan Railway Corporation, for taking leave during the Lunar New Year holidays. The leave, from January 27 to 30, was taken as a form of protest against enforced overtime during national holidays.

The recent court ruling on October 8 reversed a previous lower court decision that had favored the union. The Supreme Administrative Court concluded that the TRA had not engaged in unfair labor practices and criticized the union for notifying the TRA about the mass leave only on January 23, 2017, which allegedly left insufficient time for an appropriate response.

TRU Secretary Chu Chih-yu described the ruling as “extremely unreasonable” and stated that it undermines efforts to improve labor rights. He further argued that the decision sets a concerning precedent for suppressing labor activists, noting that Taiwan Railway employees have historically faced disciplinary actions when advocating for fair treatment.

In response, Taiwan Railway Corporation issued a statement on Thursday affirming its adherence to the Labor Standards Act and its respect for judicial decisions.