Pxmart (全聯) is to offer a NT$100,000 (US$3,290) reward for whistle-blowers who expose wrongdoing, to demonstrate the nation’s largest supermarket chain’s social responsiblity, chairman Lin Ming-hsiung (林敏雄) announced yesterday.
Lin’s announcement came two days after a former employee, surnamed Chang (張), said Pxmart branches in New Taipei City’s Sinjhuang District (新莊) had sold out-of-date meat products in recent months. Chang also released a video clip purporting to show Pxmart employees repackaging expired items for sale.
Lin said the company has worked hard over the past 16 years to build itself into the nation’s top supermarket chain, adding that if he makes any policies that go against principles of good faith, he will shut down supermarket and logistics operations.
Photo: CNA
Any employee who can produce conclusive evidence of product tampering is set to receive a bonus of NT$100,000 and be assured of continued employment, while any employees responsible for unethical practices are set to be fired, Lin said.
The firm also plans to compensate consumers confirmed to have purchased the repackaged items by paying them three to five times the cost of the items.
Pxmart, which reported annual revenue of about NT$15 billion, estimated the discarded expired items are worth about NT$300 million.
The company has neither confirmed nor denied Chang’s accusation, but it said that if the claim is proven to be true, it plans to offer her employment and give her a promotion.
However, the company also said that its own investigation found that Chang had been unhappy with her workplace treatment.
New Taipei City Government Public Health Department has sent Chang’s report and video clip to the police department for investigation.
In other food-related news, restaurant chain operator Wowprime Corp (王品集團) is planning a street rally of 10,000 employees to demand compensation from Ting Hsin International Group (頂新集團), the manufacturer at the center of the latest food scandal.
Wowprime, which runs chains Wang Steak (王品台塑牛排) and Tasty (西堤) steakhouses, and Japanese eateries Tokiya (陶板屋) and Ikki (藝奇), hopes the protest sends a message to the government about the need for a comprehensive certification system.
The rally was planned for noon today in Greater Taichung, but was postponed pending permission from city authorities. A new date has not been announced.
Wowprime said it would close its restaurants for four to five hours so employees can take part in the rally.
That is set to affect revenue, but the move is necessary to “fight for justice,” the corporation said.
Nine products at Wowprime’s restaurants have been hit by the two food safety crises in as many months.
The company said it believes itself to be a victim of the food safety problems and blames Ting Hsin, which it said should be held fully responsible.
Wowprime said it trusted the government certifications of the tainted products.
“There are problems with lard and there are problems with beef tallow. We want to ask the government: Where can Wowprime, which prefers to use local products, turn?” it said.
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