The union representing Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) workers said yesterday it won't allow the party to dismiss the bulk of its staff to improve its finances.
The director of the KMT's labor union, Liu Chien-sung (
"From the point of view of protecting workers' rights, we are unwilling to see the party resort to a mass dismissal of its staff," Liu said.
"Should the party eventually decide to do that, the dismissal should adhere to the Law on the Protection Against Mass Dismissal of Employees. We hope an agreeable outcome can be reached," said Liu, who has worked for the KMT for more than 20 years.
Liu added that the union hopes to convene a formal meeting with the party to discuss the issue.
Speculation about dismissals has been mounting since the party lost the presidential election, with some fearing the party plans to cut as much as three-quarters of its staff.
Although a task force in charge of the party's internal reform didn't decide on the matter during a meeting on Monday, a decision is expected at a meeting tomorrow.
"The downsizing issue was discussed during the [Monday] meeting but no final conclusion on the scope of staff downsizing was made," KMT deputy spokeswoman Kuo Su-chun (
Kuo dismissed the rumor that 75 percent of party staff would lose their jobs.
The task force, headed by Vice Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (
"The party's financial situation is not its only concern, but we also have to consider the feelings of staff," Kuo said, adding that the party recognizes the efforts of its employees and would try to reach an agreement with its workers.
The KMT employs an estimated 1,700 people, nearly 10 times the number employed by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
According to KMT Administration and Management Committee Director-General Chang Che-shen (
In 2000, financial magazine Wealth Monthly estimated the value of the KMT's assets at US$17 billion.
RSS