TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Hundreds of labor group members and citizens took to the streets in front of the Legislative Yuan on Monday evening to protest against the revisions to the labor law which they believed would undermine labor rights and worsen working conditions, as the first review of the revisions after the first reading was passed by lawmakers after a lengthy 13-hour legislative session.

Labor activists had gathered at the Legislative Yuan since Monday morning, and the protest extended well into the evening with more and more people joining at around 9 p.m.

Reports said there were hundreds of protesters blocking Zhongshan South Road where the Legislative Yuan is located.

Protesters even threw joss papers (ghost money) to show their anger.

Later police started asking the protesters to leave and tried to clear the crowds. Yet the deadlock between the protesters and police lasted until nearly 10:30 p.m. when the leaders of the labor groups announced that the protest was over. The activists vowed to resume the protest one month later when another session would be held for further reviews.

Earlier in the morning, labor group members also went into conflict with the police as they had tried to break the human police wall and enter the Legislative Yuan where lawmakers began the session for the first review of the revisions to the Labor Standards Act at 9 a.m.

There will be a round of reviews before the law is given a second reading.

Scuffles broke out between opposition party lawmakers and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party ones who ardently pushed for the revisions.

After 13 hours of the standoff, the DPP lawmakers, with the majority of seats in the legislature, decided to put the issue to a vote and consequently the first review of the revisions was passed.

The revisions include possibilities to extend overtime hours, prolong paid holidays, and reduce break hours between shifts through negotiations between workers and employers and governmental reviews of the negotiations.