Girard Mariano Lopezby Girard Mariano Lopez
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Photo Credit: Brian Hioe
MIGRANT WORKERS at major Taiwanese medical device manufacturer Taidoc marked the Lunar New Year with a series of protests, including a strike declaration on Lunar New Year’s Eve and a post-holiday mobilization—escalating a labor dispute that has drawn national political attention.
Members of the Taidoc Technology Labor Union (TTLU) gathered outside Taiwan’s labor ministry on the morning of Lunar New Year’s Eve, typically a time for family reunions, for what they called a “prayer strike” to defend union autonomy. The group later held an additional demonstration outside the New Taipei City Government after the holiday period.
“The company keeps saying ‘don’t hurt the company’, but it is precisely the company’s selfishness that caused this scandal,” TTLU Director Roda Catudio said.“We only seek the most basic union autonomy to secure our lawful treatment.”
The group also emphasized that it did not seek to divide Taiwanese and migrant workers, but rather to unite them.
Creation of a “Duplicate Union” by Taidoc Management
THE UNION ACCUSED management at Taidoc Technology Corp., a major producer of blood glucose monitors, blood pressure devices and COVID-19 test products, of fostering conflict between local and foreign workers and attempting to undermine the union through intimidation and disinformation.
Among the allegations is that the company created a “counterfeit union” social media page to confuse the public and claim legitimacy. Union officials said their own page is registered as a legally recognized civil organization with New Taipei City authorities and challenged the company to provide proof if it claims official status.
Photo credit: Brian Hioe
The union, formed last year by migrant workers from the Philippines, says it organized after long-standing grievances over dormitory rules, fees, and treatment of pregnant workers. It has staged multiple protests since November, including four demonstrations at the labor ministry.
Politicians Take Notice
IN A SEPARATE STATEMENT, Taiwan People’s Party lawmaker Chiu Hui-ju said the company had become a “labor rights hell,” citing allegations that pregnant migrant workers were dismissed, dormitory rules imposed compulsory labor as punishment, and some workers were charged fees to renew contracts. She said Taiwan’s Labor Ministry had indicated it would freeze the company’s migrant worker quota during the dispute and that her office is monitoring the investigation.
Meanwhile, Taiwan Green Party co-convener Gan Chong-wei called on the New Taipei City Government to formally recognize the dispute, disregard what he described as an employer-backed “fake union,” freeze the company’s migrant worker quota, and reinstate all dismissed union officials with full pay. He warned that allegations of forced labor could damage Taiwan’s international reputation and expose the company to trade consequences in markets such as the United States and Europe.
The New Power Party and Obasan Party have also shown solidarity with the Taidoc union and the seven retrenched migrant workers.
Taidoc Denies Wrongdoing
TAIDOC HAS DENIED accusations of misconduct. In a subsequent statement after the Lunar New Year break, the company emphasized its key role in responding to Taiwan’s public crises such as SARS and COVID-19, and highlighted its record of handling more than 1,000 employees worldwide for 28 years.It added that disciplinary actions against six union officials were based on specific violations, including alleged “abuse of leave, disruption of workplace order and pressure on coworkers rather than union membership.”
The company also denied firing workers for pregnancy, charging contract renewal fees or imposing forced labor, describing dormitory rules as standard safety measures in shared housing. It warned that calls to restrict exports could threaten the livelihoods of hundreds of employees, noting that 80% to 90% of its revenue comes from overseas markets.
Photo credit: Brian Hioe
Yet, labor activists say that such restrictions would only be the result of the company’s alleged wrongdoings.
“Management is acting with total impunity,” TTLU Secretary-General and veteran labor activist Lennon Wang said, “Even after the Ministry of Labor warned twice that union suppression would not be tolerated, they escalated further, staging events at factories to fabricate the appearance of a rival union and undermine legitimacy. This is disgraceful.”
Escalation of Dispute
THE DISPUTE ESCALATED in early February when the company dismissed the union chairperson and, days later, six additional union officials. Union leaders say the firings were retaliatory and unlawful.
Under Taiwan law, authorities can suspend a company’s ability to hire foreign workers if labor violations related to contract termination during disputes are confirmed. Labor officials have said the situation is under review.
Human rights groups and unions across Taiwan expressed solidarity during the holiday protests. The Hwa-Shan Catering Affiliated Enterprise Labor Union wrote that “workers have no borders” and urged ‘stronger workers’ to support those in more vulnerable positions.
Photo credit: Brian Hioe
Labor disputes involving migrant workers have drawn increasing scrutiny in Taiwan, where hundreds of thousands of foreign workers, primarily from Southeast Asia, are employed in manufacturing, caregiving, and construction.
The Taidoc case could become a test of Taiwan’s labor protections and its ability to balance corporate interests with workers’ rights. For the union, however, the timing carried symbolic weight: protesting during the country’s most important holiday underscored what members say is the urgency of their situation. Their dispute serves as a reminder that even during a season of renewal, their dispute remains unresolved.