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進入《TAIPEI TIMES 焦點》 Economics minister tries to avert Taipower strike
By Lauly Li / Staff reporter
Minister of Economic Affairs Lee Chih-kung （李世光） yesterday said he would negotiate with Taipower Labor Union representatives today regarding the government’s plan to privatize the nation’s electricity supply industry.
“We will continue to communicate with the labor union... If the union goes on strike, the effect of power supply disruption would be far greater than the effects of the China Airlines [華航] strike,” Lee told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of the legislature’s Economics Committee.
Lee’s remarks came after the Chinese-language China Times reported that the state-run Taiwan Power Co’s （Taipower, 台電） labor union would take measures against the ministry if the government does not allow the union to participate in planned amendments to the Electricity Act （電業法）.
The measures include calling on the 30,000 Taipower employees to occupy the ministry building in Taipei and not report for duty during typhoons to repair power facilities, the report said.
A union representative said that many of Taipower’s employees worked 24 or even 36 hours straight when 4.7 million households lost power when Typhoon Soudelor made landfall in August last year.
The union, which represents more than 26,000 Taipower employees, confirmed the report, saying that Taipower workers are “disturbed” that the new government has not discussed with them possibile scenarios arising from the planned amendment.
The union said the ministry plans to submit a draft amendment of the act to the Executive Yuan before the end of next month and to deliver it to the Legislative Yuan in September without consulting the union.
“The union does not oppose amending the Electricity Act, but we want our opinions to be heard,” a union representative said by telephone.
“The government should hold public hearings and allow the union or Taipower employees to participate in drafting the amendment,” said the representative, who declined to be named.
He said the government should clarify what group is responsible for power supply stability if the electricity industry is privatized.
“We are afraid that the government would still demand that Taipower bear sole responsibility for electricity supply. This would be unfair to Taipower,” he said.
The representative said he hoped that Lee would offer a “friendly” response to the union’s requests today, or the union might stage protests against the government.
Taipower chairman Hwang Jung-chou （黃重球） yesterday released an internal letter to Taipower employees, saying that he would relay the union’s opinions to the ministry and share the latest progress of the amendment with all of the firm’s employees.
“Liberalizing the power industry is a great challenge to Taipower. The company will strive for a grace period from the government to protect Taipower’s interests while the government privatizes the industry,” Hwang said in the letter.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
