Taipei, Oct. 22 (CNA) Eleven union officials at U.S. memory chipmaker Micron Technology Inc.’s Taoyuan operations began a 24-hour “strike” Thursday, accusing the company of failing to offer a concrete profit-sharing proposal and criticizing an agreement reached with its Taichung union a day earlier.
The Taoyuan union announced the limited industrial action Monday in solidarity with its Taichung counterpart, which had been scheduled to hold mediation talks with Micron on Thursday.
However, Micron and the Taichung union announced Wednesday afternoon that they had signed a labor-management agreement and canceled Thursday’s mediation meeting. Details were not disclosed at the time.
The Taoyuan union confirmed Wednesday evening that 11 union officials would participate in the planned one-day strike, which would run from 9 a.m. Thursday to 9 a.m. Friday.
● Micron, Taichung union reach deal in labor talks
Taoyuan union criticizes agreement
At a news conference outside Micron’s Taoyuan facility on Thursday morning, union Chairman Jerry Lin (林哲瑞) criticized Micron, the Ministry of Labor (MOL) and the Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau for excluding the Taoyuan union from the negotiations.
Lin said the two unions had jointly formulated four demands, but Taoyuan union representatives and their views “were not adequately included in the negotiations,” resulting in an agreement being reached solely with the Taichung union.
“The MOL’s responsibility should be to protect workers’ rights,” Lin said, arguing that the ministry should not prioritize reaching an agreement over considering the Taoyuan union’s views.
Lin also disputed the reported vote on the agreement, which he said ended with nine votes in favor, two against and one invalid ballot.
He argued that 12 Taoyuan representatives should have been allowed to vote, which would have brought the tally to nine in favor, 14 against and one invalid ballot, meaning “there should have been no consensus.”
Lin said Micron had cited confidentiality obligations when asked about the agreement’s terms.
Qu Jia-yun (曲佳雲), vice chair of the Taoyuan Confederation of Trade Unions, described the agreement as “shocking” and accused the MOL of helping Micron “divide workers” through one-sided negotiations.
Profit-sharing demands
“Our four demands have never changed,” Lin said, urging Micron to present concrete proposals.
At the center of the dispute is Micron’s Incentive Pay Plan (IPP), which the union says lacks transparency. The union is seeking a long-term mechanism under which 15 percent of the company’s operating profits would be distributed to employees.
Union Secretary-General Wei Yu-ling (魏豫綾) said the strike, running from 9 a.m. Thursday to 9 a.m. Friday, was not intended to disrupt production, but warned that more workers could join future industrial action.
Micron employs approximately 3,000 workers in Taoyuan and 12,300 in Taichung, with 2,335 and around 11,000 belonging to their respective local unions.
On Oct. 7, the Taoyuan union secured strike authorization, with 1,994 of 2,012 voting members supporting industrial action.
The union also called on members to vote on whether they accepted Micron’s proposed terms following a company-wide meeting scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday.
Negotiations between the Taoyuan union and Micron are scheduled to resume at the Taoyuan City Government at 1 p.m. Friday, according to Wei.
● Micron Taoyuan union announces Oct. 22 solidarity strike
Government, company responses
The MOL said Thursday afternoon that Wednesday’s negotiations between Micron and the Taoyuan union had ended without an agreement, adding that it respected the union’s legal right to strike.
The ministry said it had participated in the talks at the Taoyuan city government’s invitation and would continue facilitating negotiations.
At an online news conference Thursday, Micron Taiwan Chairman Donghui Lu (盧東暉) said the agreement with the Taichung union included a new quarterly profit-sharing bonus linked to company earnings, in addition to its existing IPP.
Lu said the company would also implement further structural salary adjustments, increase shift allowances, provide three additional days of paid leave and raise its labor pension contribution rate from 8 percent to 10 percent.
Regarding the Taoyuan strike, Lu said Micron respected the industrial action and appreciated the union officials’ rational and restrained approach to expressing their demands.
He said the company would continue communicating with the union in hopes of reaching a mutually acceptable outcome.
(By Chang Chien-chung and Sunny Lai)
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