Taiwan's chip talisman snack faces production halt after 94% strike vote
Taiwan's tech talisman snack production could be halted as the Guai Guai company faces strike action.
The Taiwanese semiconductor industry thrives on scientific precision and employee commitment. Yet, Taiwanese engineers hold a superstitious belief that strategically placed bags of Guai Guai snacks, found frequently around the island, bring good luck to semiconductor and computing product manufacturing. The Guai Guai Company, established in 1968, has a significant presence in Zhongli, with over a third of its workforce having worked there for at least three decades.
The company announced its relocation to Hsinchu in September, sparking alarm due to a potential strike threat from its employees. Despite offers for a 5% pay raise, relocation, and a 67% increase in the windfall from the sale of its Zhongli site, workers remain dissatisfied. The union, representing the vast majority of the workforce voting for the strike (94%), is demanding severance packages, pay raises, and a share of the AI windfall, particularly for longer-serving employees.
They also seek severance for those unwilling to work in the new location and a salary increase of NT$10,000 (US$315) monthly for those remaining. Negotiations are ongoing, with Taiwan's government monitoring the situation closely, ready to intervene if necessary to ensure the livelihoods earned by the workers are secured.
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