A man surnamed Chiu (邱) yesterday accused smartphone manufacturer HTC of illegally laying off hundreds of part-time workers in July.
Chiu was one of hundreds of part-time employees fired without warning by HTC, who never signed contracts with them, he said at a press conference organized by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君).
HTC recently sent him a text message requesting his emergency recruitment, Chiu said, adding that it made him feel the company thought of him like “human trash, without dignity.”
Photo: CNA
Chiu said he had worked at the company for nearly one year, for more than 12 hours each day, yet received no severance pay after being let go and did not qualify for unemployment benefits.
“Why is this company allowed to dismiss part-time workers at will?” he asked.
The company’s conduct has hurt its image as a renowned international brand which values corporate social responsibility, Taiwan Labor Front secretary-general Sun Yu-lien (孫友聯) said.
Cheng said he suspected HTC was abusing cheap labor and part-time hiring since its need for manpower has been obvious, adding that the company had violated the Council Of Labor Affairs’ regulations on part-time employment, which require written contracts for part-time employees and advance notice before said contract is terminated.
The lawmaker said that, as a company backed by the government, HTC should shoulder more social responsibility and the council should investigate temporary employment agencies for conducting illegal hiring practices.
Huang Chi-ya (黃琦雅) of the council’s Department of Labor Relations said HTC had violated Article 16 of the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法) by not giving Chiu a 10-day notice before firing him and that the council would launch a probe of the company. If violations are proven, the company would be facing a fine up to NT$300,000 (US$10,000).
The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a southwestern extension of the Sanying MRT Line from New Taipei to Bade District (八德) in Taoyuan, with a goal of starting construction by late 2026. The 4.03-kilometer extension, featuring three new stations, will run from the current terminus at Yingtao Fude Station (LB12) in New Taipei City to Dannan Station (LB14), where it will connect with Taoyuan’s Green Line, New Taipei City Metro Corp said in a statement. This extension will follow the completion of core Sanying Line, a 14.29-kilometer medium-capacity system linking Tucheng (土城), Sansia (三峽)
CARGO LOSS: About 50 containers at the stern of the ‘Ever Lunar’ cargo ship went overboard, prompting the temporary closure of the port and disrupting operations Evergreen Marine Corp, Taiwan’s largest container shipper, yesterday said that all crew members aboard the Ever Lunar (長月) were safe after dozens of containers fell overboard off the coast of Peru the previous day. The incident occurred at 9:40am on Friday as the Ever Lunar was anchored and waiting to enter the Port of Callao when it suddenly experienced severe rolling, Evergreen said in a statement. The rolling, which caused the containers to fall, might have been caused by factors including a tsunami triggered by an earthquake in Russia, poor winter sea conditions in South America or a sudden influx of waves,
The Ministry of Culture yesterday officially launched the “We TAIWAN” cultural program on Osaka’s Nakanoshima sandbank, with the program’s mascot receiving overwhelming popularity. The cultural program, which runs from Aug. 2 to 20, was designed to partner with and capitalize on the 2025 World Expo that is being held in Osaka, Japan, from April 13 to Oct. 13, the ministry said. On the first day of the cultural program, its mascot, a green creature named “a-We,” proved to be extremely popular, as its merch was immediately in high demand. Long lines formed yesterday for the opening
The Taipei Summer Festival is to begin tomorrow at Dadaocheng Wharf (大稻埕), featuring four themed firework shows and five live music performances throughout the month, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said today. The festival in the city’s Datong District (大同) is to run until Aug. 30, holding firework displays on Wednesdays and the final Saturday of the event. The first show is scheduled for tomorrow, followed by Aug. 13, 20 and 30. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Disney Pixar's movie Toy Story, the festival has partnered with Walt Disney Co (Taiwan) to host a special themed area on
RSS