For Phon, Saranyoo, Suksan, Baeng and Chokchai, five Thai laborers working on the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit System construction project, a trip to Taipei this past weekend was not to check out Taipei 101 or visit Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall.
They came in a quest for justice: They are facing lawsuits filed by their recruiter and have been asked to pay sums they can't afford.
In a press conference hosted by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Joanna Lei (
PHOTO: LO PEI-DER, TAIPEI TIMES
The damages, according to the company, amount to NT$19.67 million (US$596,060).
Facing the media yesterday, several of the men were still in complete shock and disbelief at seeing their names listed as defendants in the indictment and the amount of damages claimed by the company.
"I am confused and sad," Baeng said. "They promised us they would not sue us, but you see my name is there ... Are you Taiwanese? Why are you doing this to us?"
Baeng said he loved Taiwanese people and hoped to win justice.
Phon spoke of the mistreatment he had suffered in the dormitory for Thai workers.
"They treat me like a slave. They do not allow me to use a cellphone, and they watch me when I have meals," Phon said as he cried. "Please think, if you were in my situation, what would you think? I am 40 now, not a 20-year-old."
Phon also said his heart was no longer in his work after hearing he was being sued by the company and he wondered why something like this would happen to him.
Phon, who was a farmer back home, said he has never committed a crime or been to court.
Huapan filed a civil lawsuit against the men last month, asking for NT$19.67 million in compensation. In the appendix to the indictment, the company listed the items it said had been vandalized by the workers, including vending machines, karaoke players, office equipment and deposit boxes where money and important documents were stored.
Huapan also asked the workers to cover the costs of re-applying for visas and passports for all the foreign laborers recruited for the MRT project.
Currently, a Thai construction worker earns around NT$15,840 a month, but deductions for health and labor insurance, board and brokerage services reduce the take-home pay to less than NT$10,000.
Each of the sued workers would have to pay NT$1.4 million, which means they would have to work for 11 years and seven months to pay off the debt.
"I came to Taiwan to earn some money, with the hope of having a better life in Thailand," said 40-year-old Chokchai, who also serves as an interpreter for his colleagues. "I never thought things like this would happen."
An investigation by the Council of Labor Affairs found that the company's "mismanagement of foreign laborers, violations in working conditions and labor rights and hygiene deficiencies" had caused the workers' protest last year.
Lawmakers, labor group leaders, academics and legal experts yesterday condemned Huapan, saying the company was seeking revenge.
The Judicial Reform Foundation has offered pro-bono legal assistance to the Thais.
Y.C. Kao (
Ku Yu-ling (
She said former CLA director Chen Chu (
Fred Chiu (
Meawhile, Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said yesterday that he objected strongly to Huapan's decision to file a lawsuit against the workers and urged it to reconsider.
"Huapan has already hurt the nation's image due to its bad service and management of Thai laborers, and now it even wants to bring an indictment against them," Su said at a press conference.
Su said the company should take the public's impressions into account when deciding to file a lawsuit.
Su said he would ask the council and Kaohsiung City Government to take care of the case and prevent Huapan from behaving unscrupulously.
Additional reporting by Shih Hsiu-chuan
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