More than 100 former Hualon Corp employees, along with about a dozen rights activists, clashed with police yesterday as they tried to force their way into the Ministry of Labor building in Taipei, demanding that the ministry live up to its promise to fight for payment of their pension.
“If [ministry] officials are not willing to come out to see us, then let’s go inside and pay them a visit,” said the protesters, who have been demonstrating outside the ministry’s offices since Thursday afternoon.
At the command of leader Lee Tsuei-ming (李翠明), the demonstrators rushed forward, trying to break the human wall formed by the police.
Photo: Loa Iok-sin, Taipei Times
“Don’t hide in there. Come out and talk to us,” some in the crowd shouted.
Others said: “Don’t forget what you promised us,” “Keep your word,” and “Give us our money back,” as they pushed and shoved against the officers.
According to the group, there are more than 300 former Hualon employees who have worked for the company for decades and are entitled to an average retirement payout of NT$1 million (US$33,000) each. However, they have not been paid as their employer declared bankruptcy.
The organization said the government was at fault for failing to monitor Hualon to see if it had complied with the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法) requiring companies to keep a fund for retirement payouts. It said the government did not realize the group had no such fund until it declared bankruptcy.
While Hualon’s properties have been put to auction, little of the money will go to former employees as banks have priority claim among its long list of creditors.
“The last piece of Hualon property, its factory in Dayuan Township (大園), Taoyuan County, will soon be auctioned and could sell for about NT$2.4 billion,” Lee told reporters. “However, according to a complicated calculation based on legal provisions, each of us [former workers] would only receive 0.0029 percent of what we are owed, which is about NT$2,900.”
Lin Tsuei-ai (林翠藹), another retired Hualon employee, said that during previous negotiations, ministry officials promised that they would help the workers if they could find more money from Hualon.
“Now that we have found it, why is the ministry ignoring us?” she asked. “Last month, ministry officials also promised that they would treat our case as a special one, but now the last piece of Hualon property is going to be sold. Why aren’t officials doing anything to help use?”
The protesters have been asking to meet with ministry officials since 4pm on Thursday.
Lin Huan-chih (林煥智), a sophomore at Chang Jung Christian University, said that he was there to represent his father, who is also a retired Hualon employee.
“It’s Father’s Day today. My father could have enjoyed the day, but he could not, because he has to work today. That is why I am here on his behalf,” Lin said. “He is now working as a janitor after retiring from Hualon, because he did not get a penny of his pension after working for more than 20 years at [Hualon].”
Having failed to meet with ministry officials, the protesters vowed to take harsher action later this month.
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