About 5,000 supporters gathered peacefully outside the legislature yesterday morning to join the Chunghwa Telecom Workers' Union in protesting against the government's privatization policies.
The demonstration coincided with Premier Yu Shyi-kun's delivery of a national policy report at the Legislative Yuan and did not affect service at Chunghwa Telecom.
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
Despite an invitation from the union, Cabinet officials failed to appear at the rally.
Union chairman Chang Hsu-chung (張緒中) concluded the rally at 12:30pm, saying union members from Taipei could return to work.
"No one from the Executive Yuan came, and I'm not going to wait for them. I believe that our activities today made the Democratic Progressive Party [DPP] nervous," Chang said. "The purpose of the rally isn't to let the Executive Yuan put on a show."
Chang said the rally was just a start, adding he has plans to conduct a referendum on the DPP's performance. The referendum would be held on Dec. 10 to coincide with International Human Rights Day and the anniversary of the Kaohsiung Incident.
Chang also plans to stage a public debate in February at which the presidential candidates would spell out their stance on privatization.
While Yu failed to attend the rally, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus whip Lee Chia-chin (
The three signed an agreement to revise the Statute Governing the Privatization of State-run Enterprises (公營事業移轉民營條例).
DPP Legislator Tsao Chi-hung (
A revision of article five of the statute would compel the government to announce employment conditions six months before the privatization of state enterprises, while changes to article eight would guarantee that pensions and salaries remain unchanged after privatization.
Chunghwa Telecom chairman Hochen Tan (
He said it was unacceptable for the union to claim that privatization was playing into the hands of big business, stressing that Chunghwa Telecom's selling of shares was always fair and open to the public.
In response to the union's request for post-privatization employment and salary guarantees, Chunghwa Telecom said in a press release that the Executive Yuan was already in the process of drawing up a suitable contract.
At the demonstration, union members stood in the rain, shouting slogans, singing songs, blowing whistles and waving flags. Chang called it a "fight for dignity."
Yu Jia-hua (
One 70-year-old man stood alone in the rain holding up a sign that accused the union of receiving special employment privileges, calling them "royal laborers."
Union leaders from abroad were also in attendance. Dan Dwyer, a representative from Union Network International, explained that after privatization, service in rural and unprofitable areas would be abandoned.
"The murderer is profit," he said.
Monica Hogan, a Communications Workers of America (CWA) representative, said the CWA has lobbied the US Securities and Exchange Commission to block the overseas sale of Chunghwa Telecom shares.
Representatives of unions from Hong Kong and South Korea were also present.
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