The Taipei Department of Labor yesterday said that it had fined technological firm E Ink Holdings Inc (元太科技) a total of NT$1.5 million (US$45,946) for hiring foreign factory workers and illegally using them as house servants for the firm’s executive staff.
Department Commissioner Lai Hsiang-ling (賴香伶) said that the firm was handed the maximum fine stipulated in Article 57 of the Employment Service Act (就業服務法).
Lai said that the department found out about the violation after Taoyuan-based non-governmental organization Serve the People Association reported the incident.
She said that two Filipino’s working in the Yuanta I-Pin luxury housing building for E Ink general manager Lee Cheng-hau (李政昊), told department officials who were conducting inspection work at the building’s gates that they would “go inside to get some luggage” and brought out a third Filipino worker.
One of the workers had reportedly worked for Lee’s father-in-law, Bank SinoPac (永豐銀行) president Ho Show-chung (何壽川), under Lee’s command, department officials said.
Bank SinoPac is E Ink’s parent company.
Quoting the workers’ testimony, Lai said that Lee allegedly deprived the workers of sustenance while he and his family were traveling abroad and that they barely survived.
Lee allegedly limited the workers access to their bank accounts and they had no money to buy food, Lai said.
Lai said the company is listed on the local bourse with a net value of more than NT$10 billion, and criticized Lee for using his influence to exploit foreign workers for his personal comfort.
“Is it possible that someone who lives in a house worth NT$200 million to NT$300 million is unable to afford Taiwanese housekeepers or to hire foreign servants by legal means?” she asked.
The violation shows that the firm had used boosting the nation’s economic development as a pretext to satisfy the needs of its high ranking staff, Lai said.
Lai said that Lee had illegally employed the workers for three years, and if similar incidents kept recurring, it would mean that a loophole had emerged in the nation’s system of employing foreign factory workers.
She said that a penalty stipulated in the act would cut twice as many workers E Ink hired from its quota to enlist foreign workers, meaning only six foreigners would be cut from its payroll.
The department would make an appeal to the Ministry of Labor to revoke the firm’s right to hire foreign workers over its infractions of both the act and the Criminal Code for its dishonest use of foreign workers, adding that this would force them to hire local labor, thereby increasing job opportunities for Taiwanese.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost