However, KMT Legislator Ho Tsai-feng (侯彩鳳) defended Wu, saying the premier might be saying that the system helped employees secure their jobs amid the downturn.
Ho said the inventor of unpaid leave did deserve to be honored, but added that she hoped companies would no longer use the system because forcing employees to take unpaid leave was the same as forcing them to take a pay cut.
Meanwhile, Wu tried to defend himself yesterday, saying he did not really mean to recommend the companies try for a Nobel Prize.
“[The system] helped [laborers] keep their labor insurance and maintained companies’ ties with the employees amid harsh economic times. [Employees] can go back to work afterwards,” Wu said when approached by reporters for a comment. “God … People need to have more of a sense of humor.”
RSS