The Minister of Transportation and Communications yesterday apologized to union members of Chunghwa Telecom for accusing them of "insatiable greed" recently.
Over tea with union members yesterday, Yeh Chu-lan (葉菊蘭) said her comment was directed at just a few individuals and not at all of the members of the Chunghwa Telecom Workers' Union (CTWU).
Yeh said that her earlier criticism was aimed at those few employees who want a lower price for the company's shares before its initial public offering later this month.
Yeh said that because of her humble origins, she wouldn't fail to protect the privileges of employees. Yeh's comments yesterday were made in part to try and stave off plans by the union to hold protests on Wednesday.
In her comments to union members, Yeh stressed that employees' demands must be reasonable.
Pointing to the successful privatization of NTT in Japan as an example, Yeh said that all Chunghwa employees should be confident and not worry about their job prospects.
During the talk, representatives of the union proposed that the MOTC clarify what kind of privileges they are legally entitled to, and that when legitimate demands are made, the ministry should help.
Chen Jun-chou (
In addition, Chen said that their biggest concern is how to fairly alter current regulations concerning pay, holidays and bonuses.
After the talk with the ministry, Chen added that the meeting was a positive beginning, but whether or not there will be a demonstration on Wednesday depends upon the outcome of their negotiations over the next few days.
Her Chen-dan (
During that discussion, the union demanded reasonable compensation for their forthcoming loss of privileges as a result of Chunghwa Telecom's privatization.
Ministry authorities said they would only agree to demands with a legitimate basis. They did not elaborate.
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