Chunghwa Telecom Workers Plan Strike Against Privatization

Strategic Insights -

Taipei's Chunghwa Telecom workers, union members of the Chunghwa Telecom Labor Union, are set to go on strike in a bid to halt the government's plan to privatize the state-run company. The strike date remains undisclosed, with union leaders planning to inform members via SMS text messages at short notice. The workers' protest comes as the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications prepares to sell 15% of Chunghwa's shares, making it a technically private company despite the government's 65% stake.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Chunghwa Telecom Labor Union has planned a strike before August 12 to protest the management's plan to sell part of the government's stake in the company.
  • The workers' primary concern is that privatization will harm their welfare, despite management claims that a group working agreement has safeguarded their benefits.
  • The Democratic Progressive Party government aims to finance its agenda by selling Chunghwa, a move that has sparked opposition from employees.
  • Chunghwa management is ready to compensate customers if the strike disrupts their services, but workers remain skeptical about the potential effects of privatization.
  • Chang Feng-hsiung, a vice general manager of Chunghwa Telecom, acknowledged that the workers' welfare is at risk, contradicting his previous statement that privatization is "impossible" to their detriment.
  • The Chunghwa Telecom Labor Union's secrecy over the strike date suggests a willingness to maximize the impact of the strike.

Statistics:

  • 65%: The percentage of Chunghwa Telecom's shares owned by the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications.
  • 15%: The percentage of shares the government plans to sell.
  • 1014: The time of the CNA news report in 24-hour format.

Sources:

  • (CNA) 09-08 1014/Asia Pulse