Shen Pao-yang unveils labor white paper, launching Taipei support and AI parenting model

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei mayoral candidate Shen Po-yang officially unveiled his campaign team’s white paper on labor policies today. The document focuses on six core areas: occupational safety, family support, artificial intelligence (AI) technology assistance, childcare measures, career transition guidance for middle-aged and older workers, and workplace physical and mental health. The policy launch event drew significant attention from labor groups and grassroots citizens. During the event, Shen emphasized that as the nation’s capital and economic hub, Taipei faces rapidly changing industrial structures and the dual challenges of declining birth rates and an aging population. He stated that the local government must take a more proactive approach to establish close cooperative mechanisms with the central government to truly build a livable city that balances economic development with labor dignity.

In his specific policy plans, Shen elaborated on the innovative proposal known as "Taipei Has Backup 3," which has attracted considerable public attention. The core concept of this proposal is to provide workers with three solid pillars of support—career development, family care, and crisis management—through institutionalized design. Acknowledging that long working hours and high stress in modern society leave many young parents and dual-income families struggling to balance work and childcare, Shen proposed expanding local government resource investment. This includes not only optimizing existing childcare and parenting support measures but also integrating AI technology into labor and administrative management assistance systems. This integration aims to reduce the burden on frontline workers and administrative staff while enhancing overall labor efficiency and the safety net.

Beyond childcare and technology application, this labor policy package places high importance on the impact of demographic shifts on the labor market. As Taiwan enters a super-aging society, the re-employment, skill transition, and sustainability of middle-aged and older workers have become critical issues for national competitiveness. Shen pointed out that past labor policies often overlooked the valuable experience of this demographic. He suggested that Taipei should act as a platform and catalyst, combining resources from the industrial, governmental, and academic sectors to launch more targeted career transition training and suitability guidance programs for older workers. This would allow experienced workers to continue creating career value in a friendly work environment while alleviating labor shortages across various industries.

Regarding occupational safety and physical and mental health, Shen believes that safeguarding workers’ lives and mental well-being is the basic baseline for a progressive city. He advocated for the municipal government to strengthen labor inspections and safety education in high-risk industries. Furthermore, in response to the growing concern over workplace overwork, psychological stress, and mental health issues, he proposed providing more accessible and widespread counseling and support channels. Shen stressed that protecting workers is not solely the responsibility of the central Ministry of Labor. Local governments, possessing frontline administrative resources and reach, should take the initiative to bridge the gap seamlessly between local and central levels, ensuring that various protective policies are effectively implemented for every frontline worker.

Overall, the labor policies unveiled by Shen not only cover traditional labor rights protection but also proactively incorporate AI applications and transformation strategies for an aging society, demonstrating an ambition to govern the capital’s labor market from a comprehensive perspective. As the Taipei mayoral race intensifies, labor issues have always been a key benchmark for voters to evaluate candidates’ administrative capabilities. By presenting a concrete and feasible policy framework and advocating for central-local cooperation, Shen’s team aims to win the recognition and support of a broad base of labor voters. This policy launch has also sparked deeper discussions on urban governance and labor rights in the upcoming election campaign.

(Source: Central News Agency)