Recently the BLI has been actively checking and coaching convenience store chains to ensure their employees' enrollment in labor insurance, and to protect their pension fund rights. As a result, the four major convenience store chains of 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Hi-Life and OK‧Mart in Taiwan—with a total of approximately 8,600 stores, including franchises—have enrolled their employees in labor insurance and contributed to the labor pension fund. More than 70,000 employees' rights have been thus safeguarded.
The BLI indicates that most chain convenience store franchises do participate in labor insurance and contribute to the labor pension fund. However, there are still several small-scale stores that employ less than 5 people, which means they have a voluntary choice regarding whether to join labor insurance. However, contributing to the labor pension fund is still mandatory. These stores are required by law to contribute to the labor pension fund starting from the day the employee reports to work. Furthermore, convenience stores are open for business 24 hours a day. Unexpected events can occur when employees are at work, and the risks associated with arriving at or leaving work at night cannot be ignored either. The chain convenience stores providing their employees with labor insurance can ensure better security for them. It also helps them accumulate total years of insurance. Whenever occupational accidents happen to the workers, the employers' liability for indemnity can also be thus offset.
To urge the franchising headquarters of the four major convenience store chains to embrace their corporate responsibility, and to oversee and urge each franchised store to enroll its employees in the labor insurance and contribute to their labor pension fund, recently BLI personnel visited the headquarters of the four major chains to learn about their current status regarding labor insurance enrollment, and to obtain franchising-related data. Among them, 7-Eleven and FamilyMart had set up an autonomous management system for overall supervision. These two chains were asked to make sure every franchise would join the labor insurance scheme and contribute to the labor pension fund. In the other two chains, 490 franchised stores were found to have not yet joined the labor insurance. After urging by letter and coaching by personnel, as well as the headquarters' help in supervision, more than 400 stores have started to contribute to the labor pension fund and voluntarily enrolled their employees in the labor insurance program. This helped over 900 employees secure their rights. Currently, only 23 stores have yet to complete the enrollment procedures. The BLI will continue with tracking and coaching. If there is any evidence found of a breach of laws, the offender will be subject to a fine, in accordance with regulations. The BLI expects the employers to fulfill their corporate responsibilities and collectively protect the rights of their employees.