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DPP receives petition from Chunghwa workers outside of party headquarters

Representatives from the Chunghwa Telecom Workers' Union, petition in hand, were received by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Secretary-General Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) and Deputy Secretary-General Lee Ying-yuan (李應元) yesterday at DPP headquarters.

The petition asked President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) to keep in mind his previous assertion that making Chunghwa Telecom competitive was the government's primary goal, not privatization. It also included demands that Chen make good on his promise to establish a committee to oversee the privatization process and asks Chen to explain how he plans to handle unemployed telecommunications workers after privatization.

"We've waited three years and we still haven't seen anything from DPP promises ... Today, I will hand this petition to my old friends at the DPP," union chairman Chang Hsu-chung (張緒中) said outside DPP headquarters yesterday.

Lee appeared as Chang Hsu-chung was speaking outside of the DPP headquarters, and he received the petition.

"Because each case is different, the speed and communication methods of each privatization case vary. I will bring the union's petition to Premier Yu Shih-kun at the Executive Yuan, to the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and to Chunghwa Telecom chairman Hochen Tan (賀陳旦)," Lee said.

Lee said that no government official or economist wants unemployment, but he also noted that it is important to stay competitive in Taiwan and abroad.

"The government has already invested around NT$10 billion to create job opportunities, and unemployment is not as severe in the high-tech industry," Lee said.

Lin also expressed that he knew Hochen very well.

"He is always considerate of others, and I am sure he would be willing to stand with the union," Lee said.

Chang Hsu-chung said, "In a democratic society, you can petition and expect a response. The DPP's reception of our petition today leaves for discussion."

To demonstrate their discontent, the union, along with students from National Chengchi University and National Taiwan University performed a skit in which they portrayed Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Ling-san (林陵三) denying workers and aborigines the right to buy Chunghwa Telecom stocks.

After the exchange between Lee, Chang Hsu-chung and Chang Chun-hsiung, the three held a meeting inside the headquarters that was closed to the press.

Later yesterday, Chang expressed, "I expect the DPP to respond to the petition by the end of today. Otherwise, I cannot be held responsible for what happens tomorrow. I do not want the DPP to merely pat our heads and then ignore us."

The DPP also met with Hochen and Council of Labor Affairs Chairwoman Chen Chu (陳菊) later yesterday to decide how best to respond to the petition.
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