Hundreds of workers laid off by automaker Auto21 yesterday organized a “memorial service” for the company’s credit outside its headquarters in Taipei, since they are still owed salaries, retirement pensions and unemployment payouts totaling more than NT$700 million (US$24 million) after several years.
Setting up a funeral altar with a photo of Auto21 chairman Hsu Sheng-fa (許勝發) placed in the center, hundreds of the firm’s former employees, wearing white headbands with the words “give me my hard-earned money back” written on them, held a memorial service, declaring that the credibility of the company and Hsu was dead.
However, instead of paying respect to the portrait of the deceased as one would usually do at a funeral, the demonstrators threw eggs at Hsu’s photograph.
Photo: CNA
The former employees are angry because about four years ago the company declared bankruptcy and laid off as many as 1,000 employees, without paying their salaries, retirement pensions or unemployment payouts.
“The government should immediately launch a probe into the cash flow of the former Auto21 chairman, because he has appeared in the media living in a luxury apartment building, riding in luxury cars and holding luxury wedding banquets [for his granddaughter],” said Lin Kuang-yao (林光耀), a former manager at the company. “Yet he tells us that he’s broke and he evidently does not care about the suffering of his former employees — many of them have committed suicide as a result of the economic pressure they have faced.”
“My wife and I had both worked at Auto21 for more than 10 years and we both became unemployed all of a sudden,” a former employee in his 60s surnamed Yu (余) said. “We’re suffering financially, because it’s really hard for us to find another job because of our age.”
Another former employee surnamed Lo (羅), who retired four years ago just before the company declared bankruptcy, is still owed more than NT$300,000 in retirement pension.
“I am already 60 years old and am a single mother, life is hard,” she said. “I only do some temporary jobs and make minimal money. The boss should not leave us suffering while he still has so much money at his disposal.”
Lin said the former employees need help from the government and the legislature because under current laws, banks have the priority in getting repayment of debts over individuals.
“So, though Auto21 has sold its properties and equipment for a total of more than NT$10 billion over the past few years, we, the former employees, have not received even NT$1,” Lin said.
ENDORSING TAIWAN: Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Afura said that Honduras was ‘100 times better off’ when it was allied with Taipei The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it would explore the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Honduras based on the principle of maintaining national interests and dignity. The ministry made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions regarding an article titled: “Will Taiwan Regain a Diplomatic Ally?” published in The Diplomat on Saturday. The article said Honduras’ presidential election in November could offer Taiwan the chance to regain an ally, as multiple candidates have promoted re-establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Honduras severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in March 2023 in favor of Beijing, but since switching its diplomatic recognition,
A fourth public debate was held today about restarting the recently decommissioned Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant, ahead of a referendum on the controversial issue to be held in less than two weeks. A referendum on Aug. 23 is to ask voters if they agree that “the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant should continue operations upon approval by the competent authority and confirmation that there are no safety concerns.” Anyone over 18 years of age can vote in the referendum. The vote comes just three months after its final reactor shut down, officially making Taiwan nuclear-free. Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) represented
Scoot announced yesterday that starting in October, it would increase flights between Taipei and Japan’s Narita airport and Hokkaido, and between Singapore and Taipei. The low-cost airline, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also said it would launch flights to Chiang Rai in Thailand, Okinawa and Tokyo’s Haneda airport between December and March next year. Flights between Singapore and Chiang Rai would begin on Jan. 1, with five flights per week operated by an Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, Scoot said. Flights between Singapore and Okinawa would begin on Dec. 15, with three flights per week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline said. Services between Singapore
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday announced a ban on all current and former government officials from traveling to China to attend a military parade on Sept. 3, which Beijing is to hold to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second Sino-Japanese War. "This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the Republic of China’s victory in the War of Resistance [Against Japan]," MAC Deputy Minister and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) told a regular news briefing in Taipei. To prevent Beijing from using the Sept. 3 military parade and related events for "united
RSS