Minister Without Portfolio Shih Che (史哲) is to be the new chairman of Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC), while acting THSRC chairman James Jeng (鄭光遠) would become the new chairman of Taiwan Railway Corp (TRC), a source in the Executive Yuan said yesterday.
Jeng was acting chairman of high-speed rail firm after former THSRC chairman Chiang Yao-chung (江耀宗) stepped down in January.
Having a doctorate in transportation from National Yang Ming-Chiao Tung University, Jeng held management positions at Evergreen Group before joining THSRC in March 2014. Before serving as the acting chairman, Jeng was the company’s chief executive officer and president.
Photo: Taipei Times
The Taiwan Railway Union said in a statement that Jeng’s first task as TRC chairman should be to improve employee salaries and benefits, which have not changed for years.
Unlike THSRC employees, many TRC employees work overnight and do shift work, the union said.
“We also have a more dangerous work environment. As such, we urge the new chairman to consider raising subsidies for nighttime and dangerous work,” it said.
Another challenge Jeng faces is TRC’s comparatively limited flexibility relative to THSRC, the union said.
The state-run company is fully owned by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, and it would take time for the new chairman and others in managerial positions to get in sync, the union said.
Other TRC employees said the personnel decision showed that the administration despises the railway firm.
Jeng has never worked at TRC and is not familiar with how the railway system operates, they said.
The firm began reporting financial losses in 2021, with the loss last year — first year of corporatization — topping NT$13.79 billion (US$460.36 million), they added.
TRC desperately needs someone who knows how to market the firm, but Jeng has no expertise in tourism and marketing, or in investment and construction to bring from THSRC, they said.
The THSRC Corporate Union said it hopes the new chairman would listen to employees and maintain communication with the union.
It would petition for an increase in high-speed rail ticket prices in view of rising operating costs, as well as and recruiting more personnel, and protecting staff against physical and verbal violence from unruly passengers.
“Some senior employees might have trouble handling frontline duties due to physical limitations. We hope that the company helps them transfer to office positions,” it said.
Prior to his position at the Executive Yuan, Shih was minister of culture and Kaohsiung deputy mayor, among other administrative positions.
He has no experience running a railway.
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