Minister of Labor Ho Pei-shan (何佩珊) offered to resign on Wednesday evening over her handling of a civil servant’s suicide earlier this month, but Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) did not make an immediate decision as to whether to accept her resignation.
Cho intends to first consider the findings of an ongoing investigation into the death of the civil servant before discussing whether Ho should remain head of the Ministry of Labor, Executive Yuan spokesperson Lee Hui-chih (李慧芝) said.
“Ho’s current tasks and [questions over] accountability within the department have not yet been completed,” Lee told a news conference yesterday, adding that she remains labor minister.
Photo: CNA
The New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office also said it is investigating malfeasance offenses and listed Workforce Development Agency branch director Hsieh Yi-jung (謝宜容) as a defendant in the case.
Hsieh was fired on Wednesday after receiving two major demerits at a performance review, the ministry said.
An employee surnamed Wu (吳) on Nov. 4 was found dead at the Executive Yuan’s Sinjhuang Coworking Office Building in New Taipei City, with preliminary investigations indicating that the cause of death was suicide.
Many members of the public and people on social media believed that that workplace pressure and bullying were what drove Wu to take his life.
Protesters gathered outside the ministry in Taipei yesterday morning holding a black cloth saying: “Anti-bullying, we want truth.”
Soochow University School of Law professor Hu Po-yen (胡博硯) called for a thorough investigation, adding that all eyes are on how the ministry handles bullying in its own workplace.
New Power Party Chairperson Claire Wang (王婉諭) criticized the ministry investigation report as “illogical” and “absurd.”
The ministry appears incapable of investigating its own problems, she said, calling for the establishment of a workplace bullying prevention mechanism, as current measures are not enough.
Wang said the premier should organize a group that includes professionals from a third party to investigate not only Hsieh, but all relevant high-ranking officials, including Ho and Deputy Minister of Labor Hsu Chuan-sheng (許傳盛).
She said those who have left the branch because of bullying should also be interviewed to have a full picture of the event.
Hsieh on Wednesday issued a public apology in which she took responsibility for “poor emotional control” and “excessive requests” that led to “significant stress” for her colleagues.
Although denying that her “leadership style” had anything to do with Wu’s death, Hsieh apologized to Wu’s family and others affected by her “not being able to provide timely support.”
She also issued a 3,000-word statement released by her lawyer saying that media reports have treated her unfairly, as if she was put on a “public trial.”
Additional reporting by Lee Ching-hui and Wang Ting-chuan
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