Hualong Union march to capital

Factory workers from Hualong Textile Factory in Toufen Township, Miaoli County have walked 100 kilometers in the direction of Taiwan’s presidential palace to petition the government in assisting them recover pensions and salaries that are allegedly owed by factory owners. Just over 10 years ago Hualong Textile Factory went through a financial crisis and since that time it has continually suppressed the wages of workers. Last year after the company formed a new company it asked all employees to relinquish accumulated years of service and retirement pay. Undergoing a grueling three-day trek from Miaoli to Taipei City, as well as a morning in the blistering Taipei heat, ten workers’ representatives finally arrived at the palace only to be met with a nonchalant government response. The response of Director Chen from the Public Affairs Department to the petition of ten workers’ representatives was as follows: 1- The President knows about the situation; 2 – By Monday at the very latest, the President will discuss the matter with Council of Labor Affairs Minister Wang Ju-Xuan; 3- Hualong approaching the government or Executive Yuan is useless.

Outside the palace many students came to show their support and stand in protest alongside Hualong workers. Students standing on the front line, side by side with the workers, made it clear that the situation currently affecting Hualong workers, could indeed affect their own lives in the future. Speaking to a citizen journalist, a student representative said that Taiwan’s current prosperity is a direct result of the effort of the last generation of workers. They added that in this time of difficulty, students cannot stand silently ignoring the cries of fellow countrymen and have the responsibility to give support and show active concern for important issues affecting society. In response to Hualong workers expressing their gratitude for the student support the student representative went on to say that the students empathized with the workers, and that this grueling three-nights-four-days journey had touched their hearts deeply. Students hope that the workers from Hualong will be given the respect and money they deserve, and have vowed that no matter how long this dispute lasts, they will walk with the Hualong workers till the bitter end.

PeoPo 公民新聞

PeoPo 公民新聞

Workers 100k petition march to presidential palace falls on deaf ears (by CJ ant80)
URL: http://www.peopo.org/news/99652

Students support Hualong workers: We’ll stand with you to the end! (by CJ theren13)
URL: http://www.peopo.org/news/99703

Hualong Union march to capital – Taoyuan Interview (by CJ eve2508)
URL: http://www.peopo.org/news/99690

(以下是中文對照)

照片

工人到總統一百尺 遠過苗栗到台北一百里 ( 小螞蟻)

學生挺華隆罷工：無論幾個一百里，我們陪你走下去。 ( 黃甦俞)

華隆公會上京陳情團桃園訪問 ( eve2508 )

苗栗頭份華隆紡織工廠員工，日前從苗栗徒步一百多公里到總統府陳情，希望政府能夠出面，向老闆討回退休金和薪資。華隆紡織十多年前發生營運危機，公司不斷以各種方式壓低員工的薪資，更在去年時，要求員工轉至新成立的公司坊安工作，放棄原在華隆工作所累積的年資和退休金，經過三天從苗栗到台北的長途跋涉，和一個上午的艷陽照射，十位代表在下午時終於進入總統府陳情，但卻得到無關痛癢的回復。公共事務部的陳主任聽了十位代表的陳情，卻只回復: 第一: 總統知道了、第二個:最遲禮拜一總統會找王如玄商討，第三: 華隆找總統府和行政院也沒有用。

現場也有不少學生到場聲援抗議、，他們認為這不僅是華隆員工的事情，更關乎他們的未來。他們說，要與勞工們站在同一陣線。學生代表說，現在的環境都是上一代勞工努力的成果，現在勞工有難，學生應該站出來力挺，關心社會議題，而非保持冷漠。華隆員工說他們對於學生的陪伴，相當感謝；而四天三夜的艱難路途，看在學生眼裡，則十分不捨。學生代表說，只希望華隆員工能得到應有的尊重和待遇，無論這場罷工要持續多久，他們都會陪著這些叔叔阿姨，一起走下去。

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