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Chunghwa Telecom union seeks chairman's ouster

The Chunghwa Telecom Workers' Union yesterday vowed to take action to oust Chunghwa Telecom Co (中華電信) chairman Hochen Tan (賀陳旦) for failing to protect the rights of workers.

The union is considering mobilizing thousands of members and staging a walkout on the Labor Day.

"We can no longer tolerate the fact that he [Hochen] breached the labor and management contract signed after Chunghwa became a private firm," said Simon Chang (張緒中), the union leader. "We will not let him get away with this, even if that means risking our lives."

Chang made the announcement accompanied by about two dozen union workers gathered in front of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications. The ministry is Chunghwa's largest shareholder, with a 35 percent stake.

Chang alleged that Hochen forced 1,600 employees to accept early retirement.

To court foreign investment, Hochen promised he would cut operation costs and maximize profits by laying off more than 5,000 employees, Chang alleged.

Moreover, Hochen set unrealistic goals for employees, putting many of them under tremendous stress, Chang added.

One of Chunghwa Telecom's employees committed suicide last year, fearing he might be one of those forced to accept early retirement, Chang alleged.

Labor officials in Taipei and Tainan have sent official documents demanding the company rectify unfair labor practices, Chang said.

Chang also released the results of an online survey conducted by the union. Among the 15,358 employees who participated in the survey, more than 93 percent said Hochen was not qualified to be company chairman. Seventy-three percent also said they were completely unsatisfied with Hochen's performance in the past four years.

Besides demanding Hochen's immediate replacement, the union recommended that the firm's headquarters be moved to the south.

In response, Chunghwa Telecom issued a statement yesterday saying it was improper for the labor union to use politics to influence the board election scheduled for June.

During his four years in office, Hochen has played a major role in privatizing the company in line with the government's plan.

Chunghwa Telecom also reported an earnings per share of NT$4.63 last year -- better than its rivals Far EasTone Telecommunications Co's (遠傳電信) and Taiwan Mobile Co's (台灣大哥大) NT$4.16 and NT$3.28 respectively.

Additional reporting by Lisa Wang
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