Hundreds of labor and environmental activists from 16 countries yesterday protested in front of the Taiwan Cement Corp (
The protesters claim that Koo's Group's Continental Carbon Co violated environmental protection and labor rights laws.
According to representatives of the US-based Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers Union (PACE), Continental Carbon Co is involved in several lawsuits for its violation of local environmental standards set for waste water and emissions from its factories.
PACE representatives said that the lawsuits were triggered by pollution dumped by Continental Carbon Co's plant in Ponca City, Oklahoma. They claim the pollution contaminated the water supply of at least 25 families living on a native-American reserve adjacent to the plant.
In addition, PACE representatives said that Continental Carbon Co has been criticized for a sudden lockout in May last year, which which PACE said violated the labor rights of 86 employees.
In March, with assistance from the Taiwan Confederation of Trade Unions (TCTU,
At that time, Taiwan Cement did not reply to the demonstration carried out by unionists and workers from the US.
Yesterday, representatives of Asian Pacific Chapter of the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions joined the US workers in the demonstration.
The activity received additional support from a variety of local groups, including TCTU, the Taiwan Petroleum Worker's Union, unions from the Tatung Co and the Taiwan Power Co, the Taiwan Watch Institute, the Green Formosa Front, the Taiwan Green Party and others.
A statement released by demonstrators urged the government to investigate all local companies' foreign investment.
Demonstrators also called for anti-privatization.
Joseph Drexler and Rick Abraham of PACE, yesterday also handed their statement to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, accompanied by Todd Carlson, one of 86 locked-out union workers, and Ron Sherron, a resident of Ponka City.
Petitioners stressed that the worsening dispute would eventually damage the relationship between Taiwan and the US.
Kuo Kuo-wen (
US unionists said that they would like to hear a response from Chen Yao-sheng (
Niven Huang (
Established in the 1960s, Continental Carbon was purchased by China Synthetic Rubber Corp (
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