Labor Ministry suicide victim supervisor rejects connection to worker’s death

Labor Ministry suicide victim supervisor rejects connection to worker’s death

2024-11-21

One of the key figures in the suicide case at the labor ministry is Hsieh Yi-jung, the supervisor of the worker that took his life in the office. Hsieh is being accused of workplace bullying and of creating a toxic work environment that led to her subordinate’s death. In a social media post on Thursday evening, Hsieh apologized for poor emotional management in the workplace, as well as other inappropriate behaviors. She however denied that there was any connection between her leadership style and the worker’s death. At the same time, her legal team issued a statement saying that the media was reporting false information that had tarnished Hsieh’s reputation. Meanwhile on Friday, a Taipei councilor filed a lawsuit with the Taipei District Office suing Hsieh for negligent homicide. Let’s hear more.

Chung Hsiao-ping
Taipei city councilor (KMT)
She didn’t even cover his body! We hope to do all we can to defend the victim.

Chang Chia-chun
Lawmaker (KMT)
All she says can be summarized in four words: It’s not my fault. She’s blaming everything on other people, on everyone else. She says it’s all the media’s fault. How can we tolerate this kind of attitude?

Lin Shu-fen
Lawmaker (DPP)
The convener of the administrative investigation, Deputy Minister of Labor Hsu Chuan-sheng, has always had a very close personal relationship with her. She also gets along well with Workforce Development Agency Director General Tsai Meng-liang. They are both her supporters, and that is the reality of it.

Online commenters have criticized Hsieh’s move to hire a legal team to speak on her behalf in public. Some say she appears to believe she did nothing wrong, as if she was preparing for a potential trial in the future. Others say that deep down Hsieh knows she is in the wrong, but her lack of remorse makes a sincere apology unlikely.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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謝宜容:同仁身故與我領導風格無關鍾小平告過失殺人

2024-11-21

勞動部職場霸凌案越演越烈，疑似涉嫌職場霸凌的主角至今仍未出面道歉，只在昨晚發出聲明，雖然為自己情緒管控不當等行為致歉，卻撇清當事人不幸身故，和她的領導風格無關，甚至委請律師發出12點聲明，指控媒體報導不實，傷害她的社會名譽。外界看不下去，北市議員鍾小平也到北檢告發她"過失殺人"。

[[台北市議員(國) 鍾小平]]
“她連蓋白布都不讓他蓋，我們希望能夠替他盡一些力量”

[[立委(國) 張嘉郡]]
“只有總結4個字就是我沒有錯，她還說千錯萬錯都是你們的錯，都是別人的錯，都是媒體的錯，這樣子的態度大家能夠容忍嗎”

[[立委(民) 林淑芬]]
“行政調查的召集人許傳盛次長，跟她私交本來就非常的好。她跟蔡孟良署長交情頗好，都是她的靠山，這才是事實”

臉書粉絲團"台灣迷音"分析，謝宜容找來律師，替自己背書發聲，但被外界批評一副老娘沒錯的樣子，就是打給未來法官看的，簡單來說這動機就是自知理虧、毫無悔意，想等到一聲真誠的道歉，恐怕很困難。

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Calls for reforms arise after suicide at the Ministry of Labor

The National Federation of Teachers Unions and lawmakers from the DPP, KMT and TPP are calling for top-down reforms to improve working conditions for civil servants. The group held a press conference on the matter on Thursday. The presser comes amid general uproar over the recent suicide of a Ministry of Labor employee who had suffered workplace bullying.

The National Federation of Teachers Unions and lawmakers from the DPP, KMT and TPP are deeply concerned about the recent suicide of a public servant in his office.

Hou Chun-liang
National Federation of Teachers Unions
We think that this incident is just the tip of the iceberg. How many workers are currently experiencing workplace bullying? How many are being harassed by superiors? There are workplaces where you can’t file a complaint. Or there is a channel to complain, but you get a talking-to if you use it.

The National Federation of Teachers Unions is calling for a thorough inspection of the work environment of public servants and has put forward five key demands: allowing the formation of labor unions for civil servants, meting out severe punishments for abuses of power in the workplace, conducting a second investigation of the suicide case by an independent agency, opening up channels for worker complaints and launching a probe to crack down on unlawful promotions.

Tu Chuan-chi
Lawmaker (KMT)
I hope that by forming unions, workers will have a channel to air their complaints. That way, we can prevent a situation like in the Workforce Development Agency under the Ministry of Labor, where the complainant was given a talking-to.

Liu Chien-kuo
Lawmaker (DPP)
We know that the response from the leadership of the agency was extremely negative. We are working hard to move in a positive direction. But we still need to make adjustments on a lot of fronts.

The group called on the government to allow the formation of labor unions for civil servants and establish complaint channels to create better workplace environments.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2024-11-21

International Airport Forum at Taoyuan Taoyuan International Airport holds international

Taoyuan International Airport held a forum to discuss the opportunities and challenges of the aviation industry. Over 200 representatives and experts from the government and academia attended to share and exchange dialogue about the latest trends in the industry. FTV reporter Stephany Yang has the details.

Representatives and experts gathered at the Taoyuan International Airport, to attend an international forum on the latest trends and breakthroughs in the aviation industry.

Lee Chun-te
Taoyuan International Airport senior vice president
Many of the topics at the forum will focus on achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, and sustainability, which is in accordance with national policies. In the past, Taoyuan International Airport slowly moved towards utilizing electric trolleys, and recently it has also re-coordinated with the national government’s policies to think about the direction of lowering carbon emissions or introducing sustainable fuel.

In the post-pandemic era, the airline industry has experienced recovery in international travel demand. With the rise of AI, net-zero sustainability, human resource restructuring and other issues, airports around the world are actively introducing innovative technologies and promoting sustainable development. The forum attracted over 200 scholars and experts from home and abroad. One of the speakers was Airports Council International Asia-Pacific and Middle East Director General Stefano Baronci.

Stefano Baronci
ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East director general
The global trends is to be much more selective in terms of the choice for traveling. The reason is that there is a surge in terms of leisure passengers that are eager to travel. It involves not just millennials but also gen z generations so airports have to diversify their value propositions. They have to do so in order to improve the well-being of the passengers because the passengers now is not simply looking to from A to B but is looking for personalized experiences.

The ACI Asia Pacific and Middle East Human Resources Committee meeting at Taoyuan International Airport is the very first to be held, during which a sister airport agreement was also signed with Kumamoto Airport in Japan. It also hopes to deepen international exchanges through the forum and implement new practices to provide passengers with a more convenient and comfortable travel experience.

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Court issues state compensation for hazardous drainage design

When cycling, you might not think anything of checking the ground you’re riding on, but you probably should. In 2022, a cyclist in Maolin District in Kaohsiung had her bike get stuck on a drainage grate, which caused her to be lurched forward onto the ground. A district court on first ruling, ordered the Maolin District Office to compensate the cyclist NT$217,000. Even though this type of large-grid drainage grates are only installed in areas prone to flooding, do take note of what’s under your feet to avoid serious accidents.

This drainage channel across the road near the remote village of Kongadawan in Kaohisung’s Maolin District caused a cyclist to get bad injuries in 2022.

Her bike had got stuck on the drainage grate, lurching her forward onto the ground. She filed a lawsuit asking for more than NT$960,000 in state compensation. The Ciaotou District Court has ruled that deficient management by the Maolin District Office was to blame, awarding compensation of NT$217,000 to the cyclist. The ruling can be appealed.

Cyclist
You have to avoid the wide gaps on the grates, but even if you try to do it, some people still fall over. Not so much now, because nowadays the grates have metal plates on wider gaps.

Cyclist
Smaller tires can’t get past, like the narrower wheels on racing bikes. It depends on the thickness of the wheel. Like these bigger ones on my bike won’t have problems. But bikes designed to ride up mountains could get stuck.

Over in downtown Kaohsiung, there are similar grates on some of the streets. Though they appear flat enough and don’t have much of a height difference between bars, the galvanized metal is actually quite slippery. In addition, the gaps between bars are quite wide. Even in areas where the bars are closer together, there is still a chance of accidents. So why doesn’t the city just change all the grates to a design safer for cyclists?

Tseng Hsien-lin
Kaohsiung Water Resources Bureau
The grates have bigger drainage holes than the old black iron grates. That allows rainwater to pour in faster. The grates need to withstand a higher capacity, so the holes are smaller and closer together. That’s what makes them different from the grates in Maolin.

Though flatter grates with smaller grids are theoretically safer, cyclists and people wearing high heels are still advised to step aside when they see grates with designs similar to those that have caused accidents in the past.

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Renowned composer Jorg Widmann holds concerts and workshops in Taiwan

Exciting news for music lovers! World renowned award-winning German composer Jörg Widmann is holding a series of concerts and workshops in Taiwan. FTV reporter Stephany Yang spoke to Widmann to find out more.

Jörg Widmann is a German composer, conductor and clarinetist. Some of his most renowned compositions are the concert overture “Con Brio,” and opera “Babylon.” Widmann is holding a series of workshops and concerts in Taiwan.

Jörg Widmann
Composer
In some concerts, you hear only classical music or in some concerts you hear only new music. Our idea is to mix. We will present two programs including Mozart and my music in one program. And in the other program, Beethoven and my music. All of us, we believe very strongly in the fact that this gives inspiration to each other. When you have heard my music, you maybe listen in a different way to the modernity of Mozart and to Beethoven. That is exactly the idea about these workshops as well, to know the music of the past better in order to go somewhere else.

In 2023, Widmann was acknowledged as the third most performed living contemporary composer in the world. He started playing the clarinet when he was 7 and started composing at the age of 9.

Jörg Widmann
Composer
I started playing the clarinet when I was 7. Shortly after, I started composing so at the age of 9 or something I think. The reason is that when I practiced the clarinet, I improvised a lot. I was very angry that I could not remember the beautiful moments of the inspiration of the improvisation of the day before. I had to find a way to notate it so I started composing.

Aside from composing, he is also a professor. Widmann dedicates 14 hours a day to creation when working on a piece. He says he seeks inspiration from his daily life and travels.

Jörg Widmann
Composer
Each time when I am in Taiwan I get a lot of inspiration. Therefore, I will compose a lot these days. I am writing a piece for the conductor Kent Nagano. Not every day I work for 14 hours, but when I am in a middle of a piece then there is nothing else. Even after these 14 hours, I try to sleep, I switch the lights off, I try to sleep but I can’t. I continue for maybe one more hour. The body is tired of course, but that is the beautiful thing about music. You are obsessed about it in the most wonderful sense. It is an inspiration.

Widmann and the National Symphony Orchestra are collaborating to hold a series of workshops and concerts till Dec. 1.

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Airline pilots earn 10 times as much as lowest-paid workers

New figures from the Ministry of Labor have revealed Taiwan’s top-paid jobs! Many people assume that tech is the best-paid industry, but that’s not quite true. Technically, the best-paid job is airline pilot. The long training and demanding mental and physical pressures of the work make this a very well-renumerated job. The figures also show that Taiwan’s lowest-paid workers earn just one tenth of that top salary, a stark income gap that some might find surprising.

What do you think is the highest-paid job? Well, the stats show that in Taiwan, it’s aircraft pilot. The Ministry of Labor reveals that pilots earn an average of NT$315,000 a month – the highest of any profession. Second is actuaries at NT$205,000 a month, and third doctors at NT$171,000.

Voice of Li Hsin-yen
Taoyuan Union of Pilots
The whole training process takes about two years. Every six months, we have to get into a simulator to do an annual test. And until the age of 40, we have to do a physical health test every year.

But that high salary comes with a price, so to speak. It takes a lot to certify as a pilot, and they need to be prepared for an emergency at all times, taking responsibility for the lives of many people. Doctors have life or death responsibilities too. What about actuaries? Well, only 42 people in Taiwan have gained this incredibly exacting professional certification.

Member of public
I would guess an actuary earns about NT$100,000 a month. Yeah. It’s very hard to qualify.

Member of public
You have to be careful, flying a plane. If something goes wrong, it’s a disaster for the whole plane.

Tech engineers have an average monthly income of NT$138,000, and come in at no. 8, lower than many people imagine.

Tseng Chung-wei
Jobseekers’ website spokesperson
There are differences in the starting salaries for manufacturing careers or tech careers, and in their monthly salaries. And at the same time, there are big difference between different types of engineers: low-level, mid-level and high-level engineers have quite a dramatic gulf between their salaries.

The lowest salary is ascribed to “basic workers and laborers,” with an average salary of NT$32,000 a month. They’re earning only about a tenth of what those at the top of the pyramid earn: an astonishing income gap.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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