The Independence Evening Post (自立晚報) will release May salaries in two installments to help it through its ongoing financial difficulties, the paper said Sunday.
This is the second time this year the paper -- the oldest evening newspaper in Taiwan, founded in 1947 -- has been forced to adjust salary payments in order to deal with financial woes. In February the Post paid out salaries in two installments.
While the announcement has intensified worries among staff about the paper's financial troubles and job security, Wang Shih-chien (王世堅), president of the newspaper, brushed aside rumors that the paper would be closing down or layoffs were in the works.
"To tackle the financial difficulties, we were compelled to make this change in payments, but I will continue to keep operations going," Wang said.
But Wang, who took over the newspaper's operations in October, said he felt discouraged because "employees never understand the difficulties of managers." He also said that criticism from the staff had led him to reconsider why he works so hard to solve the paper's problems.
"I hope the staff can work together to get through this time of crisis, and not to disseminate incorrect news outside the office," Wang said.
Union representatives have expressed their willingness to negotiate with company officials to find ways to keep the paper running, but they also want assurances to "safeguard the staff's benefits."
The union plans to soon propose other measures in lieu of the delayed salary payments.
On Sunday, the newspaper posted a notice that said it would issue May pay checks in two portions -- half today and the other half on June 19.
In addition to the delayed payments, the newspaper in April cut staff salaries by 15 percent.
With nearly 300 employers, the paper requires NT$36 million a month to keep running, and it has incurred a monthly loss of NT$15 million.
The Independence Evening Post was the first evening paper in Taiwan to advocate "independence from political parties." In its 53-year history, the paper has often supported dissidents and non-KMT politicians.
After a financial crisis in 1995 the paper was taken over by KMT Taipei City Councilor Chen Cheng-chung (
The paper turned pro-DPP after Wang took over the company.
Affected by Taiwan's economic slump, various newspapers have been having operational difficulties. Following the financial crisis at the Taiwan Daily (
The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) is to tighten rules for candidates running for public office, requiring them to declare that they do not hold a Chinese household registration or passport, and that they possess no other foreign citizenship. The requirement was set out in a draft amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法 ) released by the ministry on Thursday. Under the proposal, candidates would need to make the declaration when submitting their registration forms, which would be published in the official election bulletin. The move follows the removal of several elected officials who were
The Republic of China (ROC) is celebrating its 114th Double Ten National Day today, featuring military parades and a variety of performances and speeches in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei. The Taiwan Taiko Association opened the celebrations with a 100-drummer performance, including young percussionists. As per tradition, an air force Mirage 2000 fighter jet flew over the Presidential Office as a part of the performance. The Honor Guards of the ROC and its marching band also heralded in a military parade. Students from Taichung's Shin Min High School then followed with a colorful performance using floral imagery to represent Taiwan's alternate name
COVETED PRIZE: The US president would be a peace prize laureate should he persuade Xi Jinping to abandon military aggression against Taiwan, William Lai said US President Donald Trump should get the Nobel Peace Prize should he be able to convince Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to abandon the use of force against Taiwan, President William Lai (賴清德) told a conservative US radio show and podcast in an interview. The US is Taiwan’s most important international backer, despite the absence of formal ties, but since Trump took office earlier this year he has not announced any new arms sales to the nation. Trump could meet Xi at the APEC summit in South Korea on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. Lai, speaking on The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton
A Chinese takeover of Taiwan would severely threaten the national security of the US, Japan, the Philippines and other nations, while global economic losses could reach US$10 trillion, National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) wrote in an article published yesterday in Foreign Affairs. “The future of Taiwan is not merely a regional concern; it is a test of whether the international order can withstand the pressure of authoritarian expansionism,” Lin wrote in the article titled “Taiwan’s Plan for Peace Through Strength — How Investments in Resilience Can Deter Beijing.” Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) intent to take Taiwan by force
RSS