Thousands of workers from Taiwan's leading telecom operator, Chunghwa Telecom, rallied Tuesday to protest the company's early retirement plans which they said threatened their rights.
Wearing headbands with the slogan "defending workers' rights" and purple union vests, the protesters gathered outside the transportation ministry - Chunghwa's largest shareholder - to demand the removal of company chairman Hochen Tan.
"Hochen gives himself a big salary raise while unreasonably trying to force some 5,000 workers to accept early retirement, so we are asking the ministry to fire him," said Chuan Ping-tang, secretary general of Chunghwa Telecom Workers' Union. Some 3,500 workers joined the protest, according to Chuan.