Chunghwa Telecom: Respects union strike vote, but safety of key facilities cannot be compromised

Chunghwa Telecom emphasized that it respects the union vote, but the safety of key infrastructure cannot be compromised.

[Reporter Wang Yihong/Report from Taipei] The Chunghwa Telecom Union launched a strike vote today. Since Chunghwa Telecom sent a letter to the Chunghwa Telecom Union questioning the legality of the procedure, which in turn triggered concerns from relevant external organizations, Chunghwa Telecom stated today (14th) that the company has always been based on the position of "respecting the autonomy of the union" and respects the union's exercise of statutory voting rights in accordance with the Labor Dispute Resolution Act. It has no intention of intervening or hindering the operation of the union.

Chunghwa Telecom emphasized that it fully respects the autonomy of labor unions, that demands are publicly evaluated by the public, and that the legality of strike voting procedures is the bottom line of the rule of law. It calls on labor unions to return to rationality and jointly maintain telecommunications stability.

The Chunghwa Telecom Union's demands for an extension of the mandatory retirement age for workers, an increase in the employer contribution rate under the new labor-retirement system to more than 15%, and an amendment to the group agreement and a salary increase were unsuccessful. Today, the strike vote was officially launched. Considering the size of nearly 20,000 members, different branches conducted separate votes. The employer questioned the legality of the procedure, and further aroused the concerns of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions and the Taoyuan Industrial Federation of the Republic of China.

Chunghwa Telecom pointed out that society will have its own public comment on the reasonableness and legitimacy of the union's demands, and the company has always been open to rational communication. However, the legality and fairness of strike voting procedures are the bottom line that cannot be compromised in the country's rule of law and social order.

Chunghwa Telecom pointed out that in the planning of this strike vote, the union adopted special methods such as "non-fixed location voting (mobile voting)" and "time-based early voting" that were rare in Taiwan's labor practices in the past. This will lead to unexpected entry, exit, movement and stay of people during "working hours" and in the "workplace" that is a national critical infrastructure.

Chunghwa Telecom emphasized that as a telecommunications benchmark enterprise and an operator of national critical infrastructure, in line with the statutory rights and responsibilities of an employer to manage the workplace in accordance with the law, maintain workplace safety, and protect the rights and interests of all colleagues to work safely, it recently sent a letter to the "Chunghwa Telecom Labor Union", aiming to "request clarification" in accordance with the law regarding the aforementioned special voting plan and remind relevant workplace order and safety management regulations to ensure that the overall voting process proceeds smoothly on a legal track. The company's letter is purely a rational communication between labor and management regarding the election order. It neither targets nor restricts any individual colleague, let alone creates a so-called "chilling effect" on members.

Chunghwa Telecom Corporation emphasizes that maintaining the stable operation and customer service quality of the telecommunications industry is the company's non-negotiable social responsibility. The company has always opened the door to maintain rational dialogue with the labor union, and hopes that the labor union can return to legal principles and jointly safeguard the sustainable development of the enterprise.