Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator-at-large Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) has been chosen to succeed Ho Pei-shan (何佩珊) as minister of labor.
Ho stepped down on Friday following criticism over her handling of a suspected suicide case, in which a Ministry of Labor worker killed himself after allegedly being bullied by a supervisor, a Cabinet spokesperson said.
Late on Friday, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) confirmed the appointment, saying Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) had consulted with Hung, who agreed to take up the new post.
Photo: Taipei Times
Hung was a civil rights activist before he became a DPP lawmaker for the second time following the legislative election in January.
Lee said that as a vocal civic activist, Hung is familiar with the interactions between the public and private sectors, while as a lawmaker, he is known for his concern for labor issues, such as workers’ living and occupational security.
Hung has been keen on seeking measures to protect workers and was devoted to building a safe workplace, Lee added.
Cho has encouraged Hung to continue contributing to the country as minister of labor, Lee said, adding that Cho also urged Hung to keep working hard on labor rights matters.
Ho first tendered her resignation on Wednesday amid a controversy involving the suicide of a ministry employee earlier this month. She offered her resignation again on Thursday, which was approved by the premier.
Ho is the shortest-serving minister of labor, in office for only 186 days. She was sworn in on May 20, when President William Lai (賴清德) took office.
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. Speculation on social media said that workplace bullying by his supervisor Hsieh Yi-jung (謝宜容) had driven him to take his own life.
A report by the ministry earlier this week said that no evidence linked Hsieh to Wu’s suicide.
However, Ho on Tuesday said that Hsieh’s management style and “control over her emotions” were “inappropriate” and “resulted in staff feeling like they were being bullied in the workplace.”
Hsieh was “not the direct cause” of Wu’s death, Ho said, attributing the death instead to “excessive workload,” “too much stress” and a “lack of support resources.”
Ho’s remarks sparked an outcry.
On the other hand, Hung said the controversy indicated management problems inside the ministry.
The agency in charge of labor affairs should stop fabricating punch-in and out records, Hung said.
During a trip to Kaohsiung on Friday, Lai said that the government should build a work environment friendly to personnel, and that the public and private sectors need to take such issues seriously.
The government must review laws and introduce amendments when necessary to build a strong legal mechanism that protects workers, he said.
People experiencing suicidal thoughts can call the 1925, 1995 or 1980 hotlines for counseling or assistance.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS