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.
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
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,”
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
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