China Times editorial staff from Kaohsiung held off on protests yesterday as they waited for employers to give them a complete explanation of the company's plans to consolidate operations to Taipei.
On Friday, hundreds of workers from the newspaper's Taichung and Kaohsiung bureaus were unexpectedly fired.
"We are integrating different opinions to make a proposal that will guarantee workers' rights," said Chung Hsian-tsung (鍾顯宗), the spokesman for the laid-off employees.
However, according to one manager from the paper's Taipei office, the opposition is just a new reaction against the transfer of offices in Taichung and Kaohsiung back to Taipei. Reporters will remain in the areas they cover.
On Thursday, the paper's office in Taichung delayed its work, causing a back-up of work in Taipei.
"We were considering lay-offs, but there is currently no time-frame for when this will happen. It's just that the news was leaked last Thursday," the manager said.
Members of the paper's central office were unwilling to comment on the dismissals. Chung, however, said that all that workers in Kaohsiung want is a chance to negotiate.
"I am not quite sure what exactly happened in the central office, but we completed our work on Thursday night. And then the Taipei office sent a fax, asking that all reporters file stories to Taipei, starting Friday. We are looking for a peaceful negotiation, but not a sudden announcement," Chung said.
The chief editor of the southern office, Lee Piao (李彪), said that the lay-offs were indeed related to the paper's goal of restructuring.
"The enterprise's integration is a global trend, and lay-offs are part of this. I feel for my colleagues and hope to help them find another job," Lee said.
The China Times established offices in Kaohsiung and Taichung six years ago.
CLOSURES: Several forest recreation areas have been closed as a precaution, while some ferry and flight services have been suspended or rescheduled A land warning for Tropical Storm Danas was issued last night at 8:30pm, as the storm’s outer bands began bringing heavy rain to southeastern regions, including Hualien and Taitung counties, and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島), according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). As of 9:15pm, the storm was approximately 330km west-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost tip, moving north-northeast at 10-20kph, the CWA reported. A sea warning had already been issued at 8:30am yesterday. The storm had maximum sustained winds near its center of 83kph, with gusts of up to 108kph, according to the CWA. As of 9:30pm last night, Kaohsiung, Tainan,
POWERFUL DETERRENT: Precision fire and dispersed deployment of units would allow Taiwanese artillery to inflict heavy casualties in an invasion, a researcher said The nation’s military has boosted its self-defense capability with the establishment of a new company equipped with the US-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). The company, part of the army’s 58th Artillery Command, is Taiwan’s first HIMARS unit. Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄), who presided over the formation ceremony in Taichung on Friday, called the unit a significant addition to the nation’s defensive strength, saying it would help deter adversaries from starting a war. The unit is made up of top-performing soldiers who received training in the US, according to the Ministry of National Defense. The HIMARS can be equipped with
UNILATERAL: The move from China’s aviation authority comes despite a previous 2015 agreement that any changes to flight paths would be done by consensus The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday slammed Beijing for arbitrarily opening the M503 flight route’s W121 connecting path, saying that such unilateral conduct disrespected the consensus between both sides and could destabilize the Taiwan Strait and the wider region. The condemnation came after the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) earlier yesterday announced it “has activated the W121 connecting path of the M503 flight route,” meaning that west-to-east flights are now permitted along the path. The newly activated west-to-east route is intended to “alleviate the pressure caused by the increase of flights,” China’s state-run Xinhua news agency quoted China’s Taiwan Affairs Office
STRONG WINDS: Without the Central Mountain Range as a shield, people should be ready for high-speed winds, CWA weather forecaster Liu Yu-chi said Danas was yesterday upgraded to a typhoon and could grow stronger as it moves closely along the nation’s west coastline, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Hsinchu and Chiayi cities, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Hsinchu, Miaoli, Changhua, Yunlin, Nantou, Chiayi, Penghu and Pingtung counties have canceled work and school today. Work and school in Keelung, Taipei, New Taipei City and Taoyuan, and Yilan, Taitung, Hualien, Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties would continue as usual, although offices and schools would be closed in Taoyuan’s Luju (蘆竹), Dayuan (大園), Guangyin (觀音) and Sinwu (新屋) districts. As of 5pm yesterday, the typhoon’s
RSS