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  • February 8, 2025
DPP lawmaker generally elected as new Labor Minister

DPP lawmaker generally elected as new Labor Minister

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) has been chosen to succeed Ho Pei-shan (何佩珊) as Labor Minister.

Ho resigned on Friday after criticism over her handling of a suspected suicide case, in which a Labor Ministry employee committed suicide after allegedly being bullied by a supervisor, a Cabinet spokesman said.

Late on Friday, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) confirmed the appointment, saying Prime Minister Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) had consulted with Hung, who agreed to take up the new position.

DPP lawmaker generally elected as new Labor Minister

Photo: Taipei Times

Hung was a civil rights activist before becoming a DPP parliamentarian for the second time after January’s parliamentary elections.

Lee said that as a vocal citizen activist, Hung is familiar with the interactions between the public and private sectors, while as a lawmaker he is known for his concern for labor issues such as workers’ lives and labor safety.

Hung was interested in seeking measures to protect workers and was committed to building a safe workplace, Lee added.

Cho encouraged Hung to continue contributing to the country as labor minister, Lee said, adding that Cho also urged Hung to continue working hard on labor rights issues.

Ho submitted her resignation for the first time on Wednesday, amid a controversy over the suicide of a ministry employee earlier this month. On Thursday she again tendered her resignation, which was approved by the prime minister.

Ho is the shortest-serving labor minister, serving just 186 days. She was sworn in on May 20, when President William Lai (賴清德) took office.

The body of the 39-year-old employee, surnamed Wu (吳), was discovered at Executive Yuan’s Sinjhuang Joint Office Tower in New Taipei City on November 4. Speculation on social media said that workplace bullying by his supervisor Hsieh Yijung (謝宜容) had driven him to commit suicide.

A ministry report earlier this week said there was no evidence linking Hsieh to Wu’s suicide.

However, Ho said on Tuesday that Hsieh’s management style and “control over her emotions” were “inappropriate” and “led to staff feeling like they were being bullied in the workplace.”

Hsieh was “not the direct cause” of Wu’s death, Ho said, and instead attributed the death to “excessive workload,” “too much stress” and a “lack of supportive resources.”

Ho’s comments sparked widespread outrage.

On the other hand, Hung said the controversy indicated management problems within the ministry.

The agency responsible for labor affairs should stop fabricating punch-in and out data, Hung said.

During a visit to Kaohsiung on Friday, Lai said the government should create a working environment that is friendly to staff, and that the public and private sectors should take such issues seriously.

The government must review the laws and make changes if necessary to build a strong legal mechanism that protects workers, he said.

People experiencing suicidal thoughts can call the 1925, 1995 or 1980 hotlines for advice or help.