2023 Conference

The Conference Manual is available in PDF form here.

Held on 10-11 November 2023, the 2023 Occupational Safety, Health, and Rehabilitation International Conference was organized by the Ministry of Labour, coordinated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Center for Occupational Accident Prevention and Rehabilitation, managed by the Tianyi Management Consulting Co., Ltd., and co-organized by the Asian Society of Labour Law (AsianSLL) and Taiwan Labour Law Association.

Minister Ming-Chun Hsu of the Ministry of Labor, Professor Cheng, President of Asian Society of Labour Law, and Professor Guan-Chiau Chiou, Secretary General of Taiwan Labour Law Association, warmly welcomed everyone to the Conference. Professor Cheng reiterated the mission and vision of the AsianSLL.

Image by Attorney Jasper Frederick C Briones, AsianSLL Secretariat

The thematic discussions for conference tracks A & B followed, during which various labor law experts and law students presented papers focused on the following themes: (1) Employers’ Responsibilities and Workers’ Rights; (2) Governments’ Duties; (3) Preventive and Protective Measures; (4) Health Promotion, Education and Training; (5) and Other Issues. A track C likewise took place on the second day, simultaneously with track B.

As moderated by Professor Cheng, the first thematic discussion on Employers’ Responsibilities and Workers’ Rights began with the health problem of multiple job workers in Japan. This was followed by a presentation on the Mental Health of Workers under Work-Anywhere Schemes in the Philippines.  The panel then proceeded with the implementation of occupational safety and health regulation in Vietnam, particularly in the construction and wood manufacturing industries.

Images by Tianyi Management Consulting Co., Ltd.

The second thematic discussion on Government’s Duties focused on the increase in the number of freelancers and application of the workers’ compensation system to them in Japan, on the exclusive remedy theory in Workmen’s Compensation Law in Thailand, and on the efforts in improving a safe and healthy workplace against workplace sexual harassment in Taiwan.

Images by Emir Mendoza, AsianSLL Secretariat

The third thematic discussion on Preventive and Protective Measures underscored the critical role of the State in empowering health and safety endeavors for construction workers in India, the right to disconnect and workers’ safety and health in Malaysia, and the challenges and prospects of the Labor Occupational Accident Insurance and Protection Act in Taiwan.

Images by Tianyi Management Consulting Co., Ltd.

The fourth thematic discussion on Health Promotion, Education and Training centered on the right to production safety in relation to the right to occupational safety and health, the regulations on health promotion and safety at work for employees and informal workers in Vietnam, as well as the law for domestic workers in urban India. WEP Program Director and AsianSLL Member Professor Arnold F. de Vera served as one of the discussants in this session.

Images by Tianyi Management Consulting Co., Ltd.

Lastly, the thematic discussion on Other Issues concentrated on the following topics: the protection and security for gig workers, with comparative law case-study of Thailand and Choice-of-Law analysis; the intersection of labor and social protection through a case study of union strategies for workers’ injury insurance protection in Taiwan; and the main challenges for Poland in ratifying and implementing the International Labour Organization Convention No. 155 & No. 187.

Images by Tianyi Management Consulting Co., Ltd.

Additionally, conference track C touched on the following topics: rehabilitation services for persons with work injury in Taiwan, Korean workers’ compensation insurance for diseases and injuries and their return to work, employment support for injured and ill workers in Japan, as well as preventing major injuries and diseases to save lives, health insurance costs, and productivity losses. This was followed by various domestic paper presentations that featured, among others, the prevention of unlawful infringements in the execution of duties and occupational safety and health management systems with a focus on the Act of Gender Equality in Employment, the job accommodation for a convenience store clerk, the results of occupational rehabilitation services by a Regional Teaching Hospital in Central Taiwan, and the efficacy of the Exoskeleton Robot ‘KeeogoTM.’

A banquet was held to welcome the participants. They were likewise given a tour of the National Palace Museum in Taipei.

The Conference concluded with the Executive Council and General Membership meetings of the AsianSLL. The body agreed to hold the next Conference in Bangkok, Thailand.

Note: This writeup is based on UP Law WEP Takes Part In 2023 Occupational Safety, Health And Rehabilitation Conference In Taipei — UP College of Law.