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'Guai Guai' Union Launches Indefinite Strike Demanding Relocation Compensation
The 'Guai Guai' (a Taiwanese snack brand) Zhongli factory is embroiled in a labor dispute after its parent company, Sandi Group, sold the factory land to ASE Group. The 'Guai Guai' Zhongli Factory Enterprise Union launched a strike at 5 AM on October 2nd. Originally planned as a one-day 'warning strike,' the union decided to escalate it to an indefinite strike during an emergency general meeting on the afternoon of the same day, with 94% of members voting in favor, due to the company's failure to engage in negotiations. The union criticized the company for prioritizing profits, alleging that the chairman repeatedly broke promises and had an inconsistent stance on relocation and closure plans, with no written records from multiple negotiation attempts. The 'Guai Guai' Zhongli factory has been operating locally for over 57 years. In July of this year, news suddenly broke that the land was sold, and employees only learned about it through media reports, facing the dilemma of forced transfer or resignation without any compensation. The union applied for labor-management dispute mediation with the Taoyuan City Government, which failed twice, leading to a strike vote on September 18th, where they secured the right to strike with 94% approval. During the strike, the union accused the company of using intermediaries to bring migrant workers to the picket line to exert pressure and weaken the strike's momentum. They also questioned the company's claim of 'no layoffs within two years,' suggesting it's a tactic to avoid severance pay, as employees who resign due to changes in the work environment might still not receive it. The company, 'Guai Guai,' expressed regret but respect for the strike and offered four commitments: a guarantee of no layoffs for two years before the relocation, an additional two months' salary on top of statutory severance pay if laid off after two years, a year-end bonus of at least 0.5 months' salary in 2027, and a 5% wage increase for all employees starting September 1st. However, the union...
2026.10.15 PM 10:08 · View Count 5
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AuthorHowever, labor unions criticized that the Ministry of Labor had already decided to raise the minimum wage by 4.7% next year, and the employers' salary increase plan was merely to comply with legal obligations, yet they were presenting it as an achievement. On the fourth day of the strike, the union went to the Ministry of Labor to petition, emphasizing that the factory relocation would have a significant impact on middle-aged and elderly workers. They stated that while the company claimed 'there will be no layoffs,' they were actually not providing compensation for the factory closure, thereby forcing employees to resign. In the afternoon, both labor and management engaged in negotiations. Chung Yu-lin, the chairman of Kuai Kuai Company, came forward and agreed to the union's demands, promising that those who resign due to job reassignment would receive an additional four months' full salary on top of the statutory severance pay. For those unwilling to cooperate with the factory relocation after two years, they would receive statutory severance pay plus eight months' compensation. The union passed the proposal at an extraordinary general meeting on October 6th, ending the strike that lasted for five days and over 100 hours.