Newsletter
Amendments to the "Directions for Holding Labor-Management Meetings by Business Entities"
Amendments to the "Directions for Holding Labor-Management Meetings by Business Entities"
Susan Lo/Gloria Chu
On July 7, 2026, the Ministry of Labor promulgated amendments to the "Directions for Holding Labor-Management Meetings by Business Entities," (the ''Directions") to facilitate the effective implementation of labor-management meetings by business entities. The key amendments are summarized below.
1. Implementation of the Labor Representative System
Under Article 5 of the Directions, business entities should, in principle, hold elections for labor representatives during working hours. In addition, if the number of employees increases, the competent authority may require the business entity to adjust the number of labor representatives accordingly.
2. Improvement of the Labor-Management Meeting System
If there are 30 or more employees (including full-time, part-time, and foreign employees) at a workplace (such as a branch offices), said workplace must hold its own labor-management meetings. In addition, Article 9 of the Directions requires business entities to hold labor-management meetings on a regular basis, with an interval of no more than 3 months between meetings.
Representatives of both labor and management must attend the meetings in person and may not appoint proxies (Article 10). If a meeting is conducted by videoconference, the Directions require participants to use the same names as those appearing on the roster of labor-management representatives submitted to the authority (Article 11). The chairperson may declare the meeting open if more than half of the representatives are present. If a quorum is not present, the chairperson must reschedule the meeting (Article 10).
3. Improvement of the Proposal and Implementation of Meeting Procedure
In principle, all proposals should be submitted to labor-management meetings for discussion. Proposals may not be considered through separate communications unless the proposer agrees or special circumstances apply (Article 14). In addition, the Directions require announcements relating to employment matters and improvements to the working environment to be made during labor-management meetings. The Directions also encourage representatives of both labor and management to engage in substantive discussions on working conditions, the workplace environment, and related matters to facilitate effective communication and build consensus (Article 15).
The Ministry of Labor has also announced that compliance with the labor-management meeting requirements will be taken into account when reviewing applications for an IPO and application for the employment of foreign workers. Through the implementation of labor-management meetings, the Ministry aims to promote regular communication between labor and management, improve internal operations, and enhance employee welfare.
Lee and Li’s Labor Practice Group has extensive experience assisting employers in complying with developments in labor laws and regulations, including by facilitating the timely revision of internal policies and by providing suggestions on various operational execution matters. Should you require any assistance, please feel free to contact the experts in our Labor Practice Group.