Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) has accepted the resignation of Minister of Labor Ho Pei-shan (何佩珊) amid criticism of her handling of the death of a worker who was allegedly bullied by a supervisor, the Executive Yuan said yesterday.
Cho has appointed Ho’s deputy, Chen Ming-jen (陳明仁), as acting labor minister and the Cabinet would seek an appropriate replacement as soon as possible, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) said.
Ho first tendered her resignation on Wednesday amid a controversy involving the suicide of a labor ministry employee earlier this month.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
On Thursday afternoon, she again tendered her resignation, which the premier approved.
The body of the 39-year-old employee, surnamed Wu (吳), was discovered at the Executive Yuan’s Sinjhuang Joint Office Tower in New Taipei City on Nov. 4, sparking speculation on social media that workplace bullying by his supervisor, Hsieh Yi-jung (謝宜容), had driven the civil servant to take his own life.
A report issued by the ministry said there was no evidence linking Hsieh to Wu’s suicide.
Ho on Tuesday said that Hsieh’s management style and emotional outbursts made staff feel they were bullied in the workplace, but added that Hsieh was “not the direct cause” of Wu’s death, and instead attributed it to an “excessive workload,” “too much stress” and a “lack of support.”
Ho’s remarks triggered an outcry, and Hsieh was fired after lawmakers across party lines on Wednesday criticized the ministry’s response.
President William Lai (賴清德) and Cho also apologized to the public and condemned bullying.
On Thursday, a lawyer hired by Hsieh issued a statement stating that Wu’s death had nothing to do with his client’s leadership and claiming that recent media reports about the case were false.
Cho expressed regret over Wu’s suicide and instructed Cabinet agencies to complete investigations within one week of receiving a bullying complaint, the Cabinet spokesperson said.
Civil servants are the most important part of the government team so it is incumbent on the government to protect them from bullying in the workplace, Lee said.
Lai yesterday again apologized, saying the government would ensure that Wu and his family receive justice through a legal investigation.
The government should build a working environment friendly to personnel, and both the public and private sectors need to take such issues seriously, Lai said during a trip to Kaohsiung.
The government needs to review laws and where necessary introduce amendments to build a sound legal mechanism that protects workers, the president said.
Hsieh yesterday issued a pre-recorded video offering an apology to Wu’s family, saying she failed to provide him with timely assistance.
She also apologized to her colleagues for making them anxious because of her communication and management style.
Democratic Progressive Party New Taipei City Councilor Lee Yu-hsiang (李宇翔) yesterday issued a statement on behalf of Wu’s family, thanking the public for expressing their concern over the issue, but added that despite their shock and grief, they were not at liberty to comment because of an ongoing investigation.
The family added that they hoped the probe would ultimately uncover the truth.
Additional reporting by Huang Tzu-yang
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