TaiDoc union protests interference; company blames 'outsider' involvement

Taipei, Feb. 9 (CNA) The union at TaiDoc Technology Corp. on Monday protested outside the Ministry of Labor (MOL), accusing the medical device maker of undermining its operations, a claim the company rejected, blaming the dispute on what it called the involvement of an "outsider."

After "illegally dismissing" the union chair, a Filipino worker named Elizabeth Basas, TaiDoc posted notices around the workplace targeting her, said Lennon Wang (汪英達), director of the labor rights NGO Serve the People Association's Department of Policies on Migrant Workers.

Also serving as the union's secretary-general, Wang said at the protest on Monday morning that those notices accused Basas of "colluding with outsiders," "forging documents" and "damaging the company's image."

"It's meant to humiliate the chair and the union, and to intimidate other workers by signaling that joining the union comes with consequences," Wang said, noting that Basas' employment contract was not due to expire until September 2027.

According to Wang, the union now has around 30 Filipino members and has already registered with the New Taipei City government's Labor Affairs Department.

He said the union was formed about half a year ago to address issues including what it described as overly strict rules on migrant workers -- such as dormitory management practices it alleged amounted to forced labor -- but has faced continued pressure from management since its formation.

In addition to dismissing the union chair, Wang said TaiDoc last Wednesday also held a meeting during work hours to "force" employees to join the union, a move he called "problematic" and described as an attempt to control the union.

He said the company unilaterally announced that more than 100 employees had become union members that day, adding that new membership applications must be reviewed by the union and that it had not yet held a meeting to do so.

TaiDoc's response

In response to the union's accusation, TaiDoc Chairman Chen Chao-wang (陳朝旺) held a news conference later in the afternoon, attended by some Taiwanese employees the company said had recently joined the union.

Chen said Wang is not a company employee but an "outsider" trying to influence others' actions, which he claimed is illegal based on Taiwan's Labor Union Act.

"An external secretary-general is actually blocking TaiDoc's rank-and-file employees from joining the union," Chen said, criticizing Wang for what he called "disrupting Taiwan's industrial order."

However, article 12 of the Labor Union Act does not explicitly prohibit a union from appointing or hiring a non-employee as its secretary-general.

Chen also questioned the union's decision to launch a strike vote, saying the union claimed it had passed the vote, citing union figures of 38 members, 25 ballots cast and a 23-2 vote in favor.

He questioned the legitimacy of such a move given the company's headcount of nearly 1,000, calling it "absurd" and alleging the voting process was fraudulent and undermined Taiwan's democratic system.

In a statement issued on Monday, the MOL said it received a submission from the union last Monday requesting an investigation into allegations that TaiDoc management had sought to interfere in union affairs.

The ministry will conduct a lawful investigation at upcoming meetings it said.

The MOL also urged employers to respect the independent operations of unions and "refrain from any improper obstruction or influence."