Democratic Progressive Party legislators Wang Jung-chang (王榮璋) and Hsieh Hsin-ni (謝欣霓) on Wednesday joined workers' rights groups in accusing Fubon Securities of discrimination against physically disadvantaged employees.
Wang said at a press conference that Fubon Securities had unreasonably laid off an employee who suffers from mild hearing impairment last June.
According to Wang, the company first transferred the employee, surnamed Chiang, from its human resources department to its legal affairs office, without offering her further legal training.
He said that the company then made things even more difficult for Chiang by asking her to be responsible for jobs involving a lot of spoken communication and assigning her a hefty workload.
The company then laid her off, citing incompetence, Wang said.
Chiang filed complaints to the Gender Discrimination Review Committee at the Taipei City labor department, but the company has shown no sincerity in resolving the dispute, Wang said.
Although the labor department ruled against Fubon at the end of June, the company cannot be legally compelled to compensate her, Hsieh said.
Wang added that the Fubon Financial Holding Company did not employ as many disadvantaged people as required by the Welfare Regulations for the Mentally and Physically Disadvantaged (
Wang Yu-ling (王幼玲), deputy secretary-general of Enabled, an alliance of rights groups for disadvantaged people, said that neither Fubon Insurance nor Fubon Life met the employment requirement.
Wang Yu-ling, a former top official in the city's labor department, said it was employers' responsibility to provide the necessary equipment or adjust job requirements for disabled employees.
Wang Jung-chang said that if Fubon Securities did not respond in good faith, he and Hsieh would present a proposal at the Legislative Yuan session to withdraw public funds from Taipei Fubon Bank, in which it owns a significant stake.
He added that the case should serve as a lesson for Chinatrust, which will take over the administration of the national lottery next year, to remember its public responsibility.
Wang Jung-chang said that he and Hsieh would help Chiang appeal to the Council of Labor Affairs.
Cheng Chih-hsuan (程芝萱), assistant manager of the securities firm's marketing and customer service department, said in a telephone interview on Wednesday that Chiang had agreed with the initial job transfer and that her work at the legal office had not required professional legal knowledge.
She added that Chiang's supervisor had warned her about falling behind with her duties before firing her.
The company is also in possession of a document signed by Chiang in which she admits making mistakes at work, Cheng said.
Cheng added that Fubon was complying with the employment requirements stated in the Welfare Regulations for the Mentally and Physically Disadvantaged, and that the company was considering an appeal against the labor department's ruling.
Kenting National Park service technician Yang Jien-fon (楊政峰) won a silver award in World Grand Prix Photography Awards Spring Season for his photograph of two male rat snakes intertwined in combat. Yang’s colleagues at Kenting National Park said he is a master of nature photography who has been held back by his job in civil service. The awards accept entries in all four seasons across six categories: architectural and urban photography, black-and-white and fine art photography, commercial and fashion photography, documentary and people photography, nature and experimental photography, and mobile photography. Awards are ranked according to scores and divided into platinum, gold and
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday said it opposes the introduction of migrant workers from India until a mechanism is in place to prevent workers from absconding. Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) on Thursday told the Legislative Yuan that the first group of migrant workers from India could be introduced as early as this year, as part of a government program. The caucus’ opposition to the policy is based on the assessment that “the risk is too high,” KMT caucus secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) said. Taiwan has a serious and long-standing problem of migrant workers absconding from their contracts, indicating that
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
TRADE-OFF: Beijing seeks to trade a bowl of tempura for a Chinese delicacy, an official said, while another said its promises were attempts to interfere in the polls The government must carefully consider the national security implications of building a bridge connecting Kinmen County and Xiamen, China, the Public Construction Commission (PCC) said yesterday. PCC Commissioner Derek Chen (陳金德), who is also a minister without portfolio, made the remarks in a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, after Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hsu Fu-kuei (徐富癸) asked about China’s proposal of new infrastructure projects to further connect Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties with Xiamen. China unveiled the bridge plan, along with nine other policies for Taiwan, on Sunday, the last day of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) visit
RSS