Workers, both local and migrant, protested outside the Taoyuan City Government on the 10th, accusing Tatung Dyeing and Weaving Company of long-term violations of the Labor Standards Act. They reported years of underpaid overtime, excessive overtime hours, and unfair deductions from wages for annual leave. When employees sought to form a union to protect their rights, the company announced its intention to cease operations. Labor groups demanded that workers' rights be addressed before any plant closure discussions.
The Taoyuan City Government's Department of Labor stated that on August 28, Tatung Dyeing and Weaving Co., Ltd. submitted a mass layoff plan, citing business closure as the reason, with plans to lay off 81 workers by October 29. It is also known that there are 60 migrant workers affected. Due to unsuccessful labor negotiations, the government will mandate compulsory negotiations. The department will also continue to monitor the company to ensure it pays workers their pensions, severance payments, and wages in accordance with the law. The Department of Labor has already imposed fines on the company for wage arrears and unsettled annual leave compensation. The department further urged the company to fulfill its social responsibilities and protect workers' rights.
The Tatung Dyeing and Weaving Company Union, the Taoyuan Confederation of Industrial Unions, and the Taiwan International Workers Association protested outside the Taoyuan City Government on the 10th, demanding that the Department of Labor step in to safeguard workers' rights. A Vietnamese migrant worker, A-Mao, stated that he had been with the company for over seven years, but over the years, there have been issues with the calculation of his annual leave, compensatory leave, and overtime pay.
Another migrant worker from Thailand, Ann, said she has worked at the company for over 10 years. She noted that for a long time, overtime pay was insufficient, there were no annual leave days, and there were even unpaid leave days. She said that when workers decided to form a union, the company announced its closure. Ann added that after working for nine years, she returned to Thailand in 2022, but when the company faced a labor shortage last year, she decided to return to Taiwan to help. To her disappointment, the company decided to shut down without regard for the workers. Her years of service were reset, and her severance pay only amounted to a little over a month's wages—barely enough to cover her brokerage fees, effectively resulting in a net loss for working in Taiwan.
A local Taiwanese worker stated that he started working at the company at 17 and has spent his whole life there. He criticized the company for converting them to contract workers, providing only seven days of annual leave per year, with the rest being absorbed by the company. Now, when they demand compensation, only the past five years are considered. The workers collectively demanded that the company offer a reasonable compensation plan.
[ China Times Instant News / Reporter Lai Yu-Wei ] 20240910 12:16
[ Photo by Reporter Lai Yu-Wei ]