Kuai Kuai workers extend strike at Taoyuan plant over relocation

Workers at Kuai Kuai Co's only Taiwan factory in Taoyuan voted to continue their strike indefinitely after a one-day walkout, as talks over the plant's relocation and worker arrangements remain unresolved. The union demands negotiations with owner San-Ti Group, while the company says it respects the

Workers at snack maker Kuai Kuai Co's only production facility in Taiwan voted yesterday to extend their strike indefinitely, following a one-day walkout, as a dispute over the plant's relocation and related labour arrangements remained unresolved.

Around 130 members of the Kuai Kuai union, representing employees at the company's Jhongli factory in Taoyuan, joined the strike that began at 5 am yesterday. The union said in a statement that an extraordinary members' meeting approved extending the labour action indefinitely by a near-unanimous vote. It called on Kuai Kuai and the San-Ti Group, which has owned Kuai Kuai since 2019, to begin negotiations as soon as possible.

The strike was initially described as a one-day warning strike. The union said workers only learned through news reports in July that the land and factory buildings at the Jhongli site, which is more than 57 years old, had been sold to Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE). The union subsequently sought talks and applied for labour dispute mediation through the Taoyuan City Government. After two mediation sessions ended without agreement, 94 per cent of members backed strike action in a vote held on Sept. 18.

The union accused management of failing to engage in substantive negotiations and disputed company claims that most issues had been agreed upon. It said no agreement had been reached on arrangements for workers during the two-year transition period and after the relocation. Under the property deal announced in late July, Kuai Kuai planned to lease back the entire Jhongli site from ASE after completion of the transaction, with the west-side factory buildings leased for six months and the east-side buildings for 24 months, giving Kuai Kuai up to two years to complete its relocation.

In response, Kuai Kuai spokesperson Chan Yi-kuo said the company regretted the strike but respected employees' right to take industrial action. Chan said the two sides had reached agreement on some issues, while discussions continued over arrangements for employees who leave the company during the transition period. He added that the company remains open to discussing the union's demands.

The Ministry of Labor said it respects the union's lawful exercise of its right to strike and reiterated that workers participating in union activities or the strike must not face adverse treatment. The ministry urged the company to negotiate with the union and workers with the greatest possible sincerity and good faith.