The Council of Labor Affairs may file a lawsuit against US-based electronics maker RCA if it finds strong evidence that employees of the company's Taiwan branch were harmed by industrial pollution, local media reported yesterday.
A group of RCA Taiwan employees met with Council of Labor Affairs chairperson Chen Chu (陳菊) yesterday to protest the findings of a recent survey conducted by the CLA's Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (勞工安全衛生研究所, IOSH). The survey concluded that the high cancer rates among the RCA employees had not been caused by soil and underground water pollution at the company's plant in Taoyuan County.
The pollution, which was first detected seven years ago, is suspected of causing 1,000-plus cancer cases and 157 deaths from cancer among the RCA employees so far.
Thirty employees of RCA Taiwan have died from cancer over the past four years.
The workers pointed out discrepancies between IOSH's conclusion and an earlier independent survey commissioned by the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA).
The EPA survey indicated that the cancer risk among nearby residents living downstream from RCA Taiwan's Taoyuan plant is several dozen times higher than normal.
The report concluded that, even after several years of clean-up work, underground water 50m downstream from the plant still shows high concentrations of toxic chemicals.
The EPA survey also concluded that the extent of the pollution was spreading as far as 1km northeast of the plant.
Liu Ke-min (
The workers also deplored the government's slow response to the health hazards they face. Soil and groundwater clean-up plans were initiated soon after the case broke, but the IOSH's survey did not start until 1998.
Chen told the workers yesterday that she may order another survey to be conducted in cooperation with the EPA, and may also commission a third party to participate.
Only after adequate evidence is collected would she consider seeking compensation from RCA through a civil lawsuit, Chen said.
Responding to demands from the affected employees that the government freeze the assets of RCA Taiwan, Chen said she would discuss the feasibility of such measures with the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
The Executive Yuan has already set up a special task force, headed by minister without portfolio Chen Chin-huang (
Chen Chu promised to convene a meeting on the case in cooperation with the task force.
Eric Liou (劉銘龍), secretary-general of the Environmental Quality Protection Foundation (環境品質文教基金會), said the RCA case will be a litmus test to see how labor rights are dealt with under the new DPP government.
Liou, who accompanied the employees on their visit to the CLA, urged the government to take legal action against RCA once enough evidence is gathered.
The local media did not report any response from RCA.
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