When a new team was introduced in late July to take over the cash-strapped Independent Evening Post (自立晚報), employees thought a changing of the guard would put the paper on a more solid footing. But reality appears to suggest otherwise.
"If the situation continues to deteriorate the way it has, the workers keep protesting and no financial backing can be found, the only solution is have the paper closed," Liu I-te (
Two weeks ago, the paper's workers' union filed a lawsuit against its former chairman Wang Shih-chien (
Only days later, the situation became more chaotic after the newly appointed Chang claimed his chairmanship wasn't valid because his appointment hadn't been approved by board members.
On July 26, it was widely reported that Chang, a doctor of Chinese medicine, had succeeded Wang as the Post's chairman.
But Chang said after the labor disputes re-emerged two weeks ago that he was being used by Wang as "a tool to evade his legal responsibilities."
On Tuesday, the paper's workers' union led a group of employees to protest in front of the DPP headquarters. They hoped the ruling party could help save the paper from perishing.
The group stressed their common ideology of challenging the KMT's dominance during its 54-year history and asked the DPP to expel Wang, a DPP Taipei City councilor, from the party.
But DPP authorities gave the petitioners a cold response, saying the party had no right to mete out a penalty to members who did not violate any party rules.
In the face of the paper's bleak financial outlook, Chang and Wang are denying any responsibility.
Chang told the Taipei Times yesterday that he was not able to offer any assistance for the time being, unless his status as the paper's chairman was cleared through the proper legal process.
Former chairman Wang said that his obligations with the paper were fulfilled when he handed over his managerial duties to the new team in July.
Wang said it was absurd to accuse him of embezzlement. According to Wang, the financial details concerning the newspaper have been made clear. He said the paper was NT$22 million in debt but was owed NT$37 million, meaning there was no deficit when he left.
A source at the newspaper told the Taipei Times yesterday that the paper's problems were not the fault of any individual, but were the combination of its protracted financial woes, its powerful and intransigent union and the fact that the new managers were unwilling to provide additional money.
There are 240 employees at the Post, who cost the paper NT$18 million per month.
Liu said it would be unfortunate if the paper was forced to close because under the new team, the paper has improved tremendously both in circulation and advertising.
"But if the union keeps pushing the management to the edge, the chance to find new capital will be very slim. Then the closing of the paper is inevitable," he said.
CALL FOR SUPPORT: President William Lai called on lawmakers across party lines to ensure the livelihood of Taiwanese and that national security is protected President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday called for bipartisan support for Taiwan’s investment in self-defense capabilities at the christening and launch of two coast guard vessels at CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard in Kaohsiung. The Taipei (台北) is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels, and the Siraya (西拉雅) is the Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) first-ever ocean patrol vessel, the government said. The Taipei is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels with a displacement of about 4,000 tonnes, Lai said. This ship class was ordered as a result of former president Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) 2018
‘SECRETS’: While saying China would not attack during his presidency, Donald Trump declined to say how Washington would respond if Beijing were to take military action US President Donald Trump said that China would not take military action against Taiwan while he is president, as the Chinese leaders “know the consequences.” Trump made the statement during an interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes program that aired on Sunday, a few days after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in South Korea. “He [Xi] has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, ‘we would never do anything while President Trump is president,’ because they know the consequences,” Trump said in the interview. However, he repeatedly declined to say exactly how Washington would respond in
WARFARE: All sectors of society should recognize, unite, and collectively resist and condemn Beijing’s cross-border suppression, MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng said The number of Taiwanese detained because of legal affairs by Chinese authorities has tripled this year, as Beijing intensified its intimidation and division of Taiwanese by combining lawfare and cognitive warfare, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) made the statement in response to questions by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Puma Shen (沈柏洋) about the government’s response to counter Chinese public opinion warfare, lawfare and psychological warfare. Shen said he is also being investigated by China for promoting “Taiwanese independence.” He was referring to a report published on Tuesday last week by China’s state-run Xinhua news agency,
‘ADDITIONAL CONDITION’: Taiwan will work with like-minded countries to protect its right to participate in next year’s meeting, the foreign ministry said The US will “continue to press China for security arrangements and protocols that safeguard all participants when attending APEC meetings in China,” a US Department of State spokesperson said yesterday, after Beijing suggested that members must adhere to its “one China principle” to participate. “The United States insists on the full and equal participation of all APEC member economies — including Taiwan — consistent with APEC’s guidelines, rules and established practice, as affirmed by China in its offer to host in 2026,” the unnamed spokesperson said in response to media queries about China putting a “one China” principle condition on Taiwan’s
RSS