Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Saturday said he has entrusted three missions to newly appointed Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han (洪申翰), who is to take up the position today.
Hung must develop an “inclusive labor policy” that protects workers while addressing the demands of various industries, Cho told reporters on the sidelines of an event in Penhu.
Hung must also create a supportive and equitable workplace for his colleagues while boosting their morale, Cho added.
Photo: CNA
Cho on Friday evening appointed Hung to succeed Ho Pei-shan (何佩珊), who stepped down earlier in the day following criticism over her handling of a suicide case involving a Ministry of Labor (MOL) employee.
The body of the 39-year-old MOL employee, identified by his surname, Wu (吳), was discovered at the Executive Yuan’s Sinjhuang Joint Office Tower in New Taipei City on Nov. 4.
There was subsequent speculation on social media that workplace bullying by his supervisor Hsieh Yi-jung (謝宜容) had driven him to take his own life.
However, Ho said Hsieh was “not the direct cause” of Wu’s death, which she said was due to an “excessive workload,” “too much stress” and a “lack of support resources,” which sparked an outcry.
A lawyer hired by Hsieh issued a statement on Wednesday emphasizing that Wu’s death had nothing to do with his client’s leadership.
However, following backlash from the public, Hsieh issued a pre-recorded video on Friday, in which she apologized to Wu’s family and admitted she had failed to support him. She also apologized to her colleagues and took responsibility for her poor style of communication.
On Saturday, Cho said he had chosen Hung to lead the MOL because he was young and enthusiastic and could devise practical measures to improve conditions for workers, adding that Hung used to be a civil rights activist and is trusted by many workers.
Meanwhile, Hung, 40, said in a Facebook post that the MOL was facing challenges and needed to boost the morale of its staff.
“As I agreed to take the offer, I will do my best,” Hung said.
“Failure is not an option,” he added.
Tai Kuo-jung (戴國榮), president of the Taiwan Confederation of Trade Unions, suggested that the MOL apply the International Labour Organization’s Violence and Harassment Convention No. 190 (C190) to protect workers.
The C190 is an international labor standard that aims to eliminate violence and harassment in all aspects of work, including in the workplace and during work-related activities.
Opposition lawmakers said Hung, who used to be an environmental activist before becoming a legislator-at-large of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party for the second time this January, lacked experience dealing with labor issues and executing government policy.
The appointment is evidence of President William Lai (賴清德) wanting somebody in his inner circle to take up the job, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Wang Hung-wei (王鴻薇) said.
A decision to describe a Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement on Singapore’s Taiwan policy as “erroneous” was made because the city-state has its own “one China policy” and has not followed Beijing’s “one China principle,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Chung-kwang (田中光) said yesterday. It has been a longstanding practice for the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to speak on other countries’ behalf concerning Taiwan, Tien said. The latest example was a statement issued by the PRC after a meeting between Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黃循財) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on the sidelines of the APEC summit
Taiwan’s passport ranked 34th in the world, with access to 141 visa-free destinations, according to the latest update to the Henley Passport Index released today. The index put together by Henley & Partners ranks 199 passports globally based on the number of destinations holders can access without a visa out of 227, and is updated monthly. The 141 visa-free destinations for Taiwanese passport holders are a slight decrease from last year, when holders had access to 145 destinations. Botswana and Columbia are among the countries that have recently ended visa-free status for Taiwanese after “bowing to pressure from the Chinese government,” the Ministry
‘SIGN OF DANGER’: Beijing has never directly named Taiwanese leaders before, so China is saying that its actions are aimed at the DPP, a foundation official said National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) yesterday accused Beijing of spreading propaganda, saying that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) had singled out President William Lai (賴清德) in his meeting with US President Joe Biden when talking about those whose “true nature” seek Taiwanese independence. The Biden-Xi meeting took place on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Peru on Saturday. “If the US cares about maintaining peace across the Taiwan Strait, it is crucial that it sees clearly the true nature of Lai and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in seeking Taiwanese independence, handles the Taiwan question with extra
HEALTHCARE: Following a 2022 Constitutional Court ruling, Taiwanese traveling overseas for six months would no longer be able to suspend their insurance Measures allowing people to suspend National Health Insurance (NHI) services if they plan to leave the country for six months would be abolished starting Dec. 23, NHIA Director-General Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said yesterday. The decision followed the Constitutional Court’s ruling in 2022 that the regulation was unconstitutional and that it would invalidate the regulation automatically unless the NHIA amended it to conform with the Constitution. The agency would amend the regulations to remove the articles and sections that allow the suspension of NHI services, and also introduce provisional clauses for those who suspended their NHI services before Dec. 23, Shih said. According to
RSS