Getting Down to Politics
and Business --
Election, Strikes
and Financial Crises
(The following news are taken from
China News, Nov. 26, Nov. 27, 1998)
-
Issues and Vocabulary --
Election: publicity stunts, vote-buying,
saliva war,
e.g. a candidate (Caho Hsin-nang)
for Kaohsiung City Council slit his wrist with a razor blade and used his
own blood to write his campaign slogan on a piece of white
cloth during a live television broadcast.
e.g. Mayor Chen was accused
of going the red-light district in Macao. Mayor Wu's sex tape and
the tape he produced of mayor candidate Hsieh and Sung Chi-li (§º¤C¤O)
.
-
Strikes and demonstration-- dispatch
center, those striking drivers who go back to work will not suffer from
any repercussions
e.g. Tung Lien Bus Strikes--
--Altogether, over 800 drivers
have reportedly stopped working in the largest strike of its kind in the
island's history.
--"The company treats us like dogs.
Sometimes we are forced to work 24 hours straight," said spokesperson Seng
Ding-feng.
--Tung Lien president Pai
teh-tsun said many drivers watnted to
get back to work, but fear passing through areas --particularly in Taichung
and Yuanlin -- where the threat of violence was greatest.
--Their [The strikers'] biggest stumbling
block is poor communication.
e.g. Former MRT workers rally for health.
--About two dozen former MRT workers,
suffering from decompression sickness, and labor-right activists
protest outside the Taipei City Goverment yesterday, calling for the city
government's approval of a proposal to grant sick workers national health
care compensation and carry out a more comprehensive policy to protect
workers' safety.
--About 44 former MRT workers from
Panchiao and Hsintien lines claim to suffer from the sickness. Victims
in Hsintien lines have recieved nearly NT $700,000 in compensation from
their contractor.
However, 7 workers in Panchioa lines have
not yet received anything from their Japanese contractors, . . .
e.g. Yulon labor dispute--Fired
union representatives seeking government intervention, protection of rights
--Two former senior Yulon Motor Company
union representatives, fired from their jobs during tense labor negotiations
betwen the company and its employees, protested outside the Council of
Labor Affairs (CLA) yesterday calling for better labor rights protection.
--The company decided to slash employee's
year-end bonus by nearly 42 percent.
--".. . there is not a signle regulation
to protect us in our fight for our rights," Peng said. "We have to suffer
(Yulon) management's wrongdoing. This could only happen in Taiwan."
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Stock default troubles and the banks
--On Tues., bank depositors mobbed
Kuang San subsidiary Taichung Small and Medium Business Bank branches and
withdrew NT$8 billion in savings.
--At the same time, officials of the well-known
conglomerate worked to control the damage caused by news that Kuang San
subsidiaries Taichung Small and Medium Business Bank and the Tai Yu Products
Corporation defaulted on at least NT$4 billion in parent company
stock purchases.