TRLU proposes deal for poll support

The Taiwan Railway Labor Union (TRLU) deviated from its usual support for the pan-blue camp yesterday to express the possi-bility of throwing its support behind President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) in exchange for employment benefits.

According to TRLU president Chen Han-ching (陳漢卿), the union would come out in support of Chen if he promised to extend the 18-percent interest rate on retirement pensions -- currently enjoyed by civil servants, teachers, and military personnel -- to railway employees.

They are also asking for other employment benefits, such as education subsidies, but negotiations proved difficult yesterday as Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wang Hsin-nan (王幸男), who attended a meeting with union representatives, said the deal was impossible.

Employees of the Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) are legally categorized as laborers with civil servant status, and as such do not receive the same benefits awarded other civil servants.

The union voiced its grievances about the interest-rate benefit during its strike last year, but the issue had not been resolved.

Chen Han-ching's announcement has caused a schism in the union. Led by former union head Chang Wen-cheng (張文正) and retired TRA director-general Chen Te-pei (陳德沛), pan-blue supporters within the union criticized the move to use political support as leverage for obtaining employment benefits.

"Employees have always had the freedom to choose whom to vote for, and so should union members. Especially since the union already knows the ruling party will not agree to such an exchange, there really is no need for such a move. In addition, it's a double-edged sword and will end up hurting the union itself," Chen Te-pei said.

Chen Te-pei is heading up a campaign support group for Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) and plans to mobilize 2,000 railway workers to attend the pan-blue camp's Save Taiwan Rally tomorrow.

"A lot of union members have responded that it is not appropriate for the union to identify one specific candidate for support in an election. The union should respect the right of members to make a personal decision," Chang said.

Chen Han-ching countered that the main task of a union leader was to ensure the welfare of employees.

"I've already heard that some union members do not agree, but at this point in time, it is very difficult to sway a person's vote either way unless there is a pressing issue at hand. My most important task as a union leader is to fight for the welfare of union members, so I am taking advantage of the two political camps' fight for votes to promote policies that would benefit railway workers. How is that wrong?" he said.

According to Chen Han-ching, about half of the roughly 14,000-strong railway administration have not yet decided how they will vote on March 20 and could potentially vote according to either camp's policies on the 18-percent-interest benefit.

Meanwhile, TRA director general Hsu Ta-wen (徐達文) said that the union's members could vote for anybody they like, as long as they refrain from conducting election-related activities on the job.