Two workers from South Korea’s Hydis Technologies were arrested yesterday after a demonstration outside the Presidential Office Building in Taipei to protest against their Taiwanese employers.
For the past 10 days, nearly a dozen South Korean union representatives have camped outside the personal residence of Yuen Foong Yu (YFY) Group chairperson Ho Shou-chuan (何壽川).
On the front steps of Ho’s residence, the workers set up a memorial shrine to former Hydis union leader Bae Jae-hyoung, who committed suicide last month after reportedly receiving legal threats from Hydis management.
Photo: CNA
Dressed in a black robe, Bae’s widow, Lee Mi-ra, carried a portrait of her husband as she marched toward the Presidential Office Building during yesterday’s demonstration.
She was accompanied by dozens of Taiwanese labor activists and students, who came to express their support.
Hydis was acquired in 2008 by Taiwanese e-paper manufacturer E-Ink Holdings, a member of the YFY Group.
Despite a series of protests in Taipei earlier this year, E-Ink stood by its decision to cease production in South Korea and dismissed more than 300 employees as planned in April.
During the demonstration, the workers demanded that President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration facilitate talks between the union and YFY Group, saying that the company has repeatedly refused to engage in talks with them in Taiwan.
They also demanded that Ma dismiss Ho from his position among the president’s panel of national policy advisers and called for talks on a free-trade agreement between Taiwan and South Korea to be halted before the issue is resolved.
“Do workers still enjoy any dignity at all? After so much time and effort, we have not received any kind of response,” a senior Hydis employee, surnamed Kim, said through an interpreter.
“Under such circumstances, we no longer know whether it is meaningful to live on like this,” Kim said.
Lee Mi-ra and the other union representatives were denied entry to the Presidential Office Building, which refused to accept their petition.
Violent scuffles broke out, resulting in the arrest of two South Koreans and one Taiwanese labor activist.
Two other Taiwanese were arrested outside Ho’s residence when police officers moved in to remove tents erected by labor activists.
Another South Korean activist was placed under medical care after receiving injuries during conflict with police officers.
The workers have vowed to continue their protests outside Ho’s residence until talks with YFY Group take place.
“We will not leave Taiwan until we have a meeting with Yuen Foong Yu,” Korean Confederation of Trade Unions regional branch leader Lee Sang-aun said.
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