Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) today said he has asked Representative to the US Alexander Yui (俞大㵢) to make a public explanation amid renewed allegations of workplace bullying.
Lin made the remarks during a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee in Taipei, where lawmakers expressed concern over the accusations.
Lin reiterated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward workplace bullying, while its human resources department is investigating the matter internally.
Photo: Chen Yun, Taipei Times
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ma Wen-chun (馬文君) cited allegations that Yui had demoted a supervisor because he was dissatisfied with the food packed for his meals.
Yui’s wife has also been accused of cycling through 20 cleaners at their official residence, and his family members reportedly berated civil servants in the office over perceived inadequate service, Ma said.
Lin confirmed that while one supervisor had been demoted, the action was backed by evidence and followed statutory procedures.
As no formal complaints have been filed and the allegations currently remain hearsay, Lin said he did not want to undermine the ministry’s administrative processes.
However, if an official complaint is filed, the ministry would handle it with its full effort, and even without one, the ministry would proactively look into the situation, he said.
Regarding the claim that the residence had gone through 20 cleaners, Lin said that it is difficult enough to hire even a single cleaner in the US, adding that the human resources department would thoroughly investigate the matter.
Lin told lawmakers that the human resources department is currently working to clarify the details, and that Yui had sent him a message explaining his side of the story.
While everyone has different leadership styles and methods, they must never cross the line into workplace bullying, Lin said.
The minister encouraged anyone with concrete evidence to come forward and utilize the ministry's official grievance channels.
Noting that this is not the first time Yui has faced bullying accusations, KMT Legislator Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷) asked whether the envoy could be summoned to brief the committee via video link.
Lin said that Yui should explain the situation in a manner that complies with the Law Governing the Legislative Yuan's Power (立法院職權行使法), reiterating that he would ask Yui to provide a public explanation.
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease. The girl left Taiwan on March 20 and the case did not have a direct impact on the local community, it said. The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said. The girl arrived in Taiwan on
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
South Korea is planning to revise its controversial electronic arrival card, a step Taiwanese officials said prompted them to hold off on planned retaliatory measures, a South Korean media report said yesterday. A Yonhap News Agency report said that the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs is planning to remove the “previous departure place” and “next destination” fields from its e-arrival card system. The plan, reached after interagency consultations, is under review and aims to simplify entry procedures and align the electronic form with the paper version, a South Korean ministry official said. The fields — which appeared only on the electronic form
RSS