Taiwan City Parks Fall into Disrepair as Contractor Abandons Contract, Forcing Staff to Clean

Hsinchu City's parks are in disarray after the contractor responsible for their maintenance abruptly terminated its contract, leaving local government employees to pick up the slack. This sudden shift has sparked outrage among local representatives, who decry the policy as an exploitation of frontline workers.

“

One person has to be responsible for cleaning two football fields' worth of area, which is exhausting the grassroots staff.

According to the Times Power party caucus, civil servants who had transitioned to auditing roles are now forced back into manual labor. They argue that the city government's inconsistent policies are overwhelming staff, with one employee reportedly tasked with cleaning an area equivalent to two football fields. This situation is described as a severe strain on the workforce.

The city's Public Works Department responded by stating that an emergency response mechanism was immediately activated. They claim that manpower and cross-departmental support are being utilized to maintain park quality and public access. The department also asserted that the reassigned duties fall within the existing scope of employee contracts and do not exceed agreed-upon work parameters.

“

We have immediately activated an emergency response mechanism through manpower deployment and cross-unit support to maintain park environmental quality and citizens' rights to use them.

The caucus is demanding swift action from the city government, including expedited re-tendering for park maintenance services. They also called for inter-departmental support to cover the gap during the transition period. Furthermore, they urged the city to pursue legal action against the contractor, including confiscating the security deposit and seeking damages, as well as initiating suspension proceedings under the Government Procurement Act. The caucus also highlighted the need to review contract management and bidding review mechanisms, and to institutionalize a park adoption program.

“

The internal manpower adjustments are all handled in accordance with labor contracts. The contract content for relevant personnel already specifies that the scope of work includes park patrol, cleaning and maintenance, and related management matters. Business adjustments are all within the scope of work agreed upon by both parties in the labor contract and do not exceed the agreed-upon scope.