CLA vows to protect Rebar employees

Council of Labor Affairs Chairman Lee Ying-yuan (李應元) said yesterday that the government would ensure that Rebar Asia Pacific Group (力霸亞太企業集團) employees' livelihoods are protected.

"We prioritize laborers' rights and paychecks," Lee said. "Under the supervision of prosecutors, funds from the group's frozen accounts will be released so that subsidiary companies can continue to operate as normal."

Earlier yesterday, more than 50 employees of Idee Department Store's (衣蝶百貨) Taichung branch protested outside the Taichung City Government building to protest the prosecutors' decision to freeze the company's accounts. Idee is a subsidiary of China Rebar Co (中國力霸).

Workers are worried that Idee will not be able to pay their salaries or continue to operate despite the department store's healthy financial status.

"Our wages have always been paid on time in the past. But we're really afraid that the worst might happen on Jan. 20 -- the day our salaries are supposed to be paid this month. How are we supposed to celebrate the Lunar New Year holidays?" a female Idee employee told CtiTV.

Lee said that funds from eight Rebar Group accounts would be released as soon as today.

"More than NT$200 million [US$6 million] will be released to pay salaries," Lee said.