CHENG-YI TAINED OIL SCANDAL CLASS ACTION SUIT SETTLED|食安賠償首例 正義劣油案團訟940萬和解

The Consumer Protection Association filed a class-action lawsuit against Cheng-yi Food Company for the student and teachers who were affected by the tainted oil scandal. Cheng-yi Food Company had agreed a compensation of NT$9.4 million. Which means that a total of 5315 students and teachers who were affected by the tainted oil scandal three years ago, will receive a compensation of NT$1012 to NT$2182 per person. In 2014, there were several major food safety violations, and Cheng-I Food Company's animal-grade lard was used for cooking lunches for elementary school and junior high school students in Taiwan. Consumer Protection Association, Taiwan has been helping on claims by subrogation. Last June, the judgment for the first instance was in favor for plaintiffs, Cheng-yi Food Company has to compensate NT$9.36 million. Although the association appealed, but the law suit had taken 2 years, many teachers or students graduated and were not reachable. Therefore the association agrees to a settlement of NT$9.4 million. ==YANG YUEH-YUN Chairperson, Consumer Protection Asso., Taiwan== Judgment for the first instance was compensation for some people, but some were not compensated due to particular reasons. Therefore we think, for those people who have reasons, the amount is NT$2,000; for those who do not have reason, the amount is NT$1,000. This was how we calculated. 5,315 teachers and students from 32 schools are to be compensated at NT$2,182 each while some may get NT$1,012. Consumer Protection Association emphasized, 90% of schools agreed for a settlement prior to the final decision made. ==HSU CHUNG-SHENG Lawyer, Consumer Protection Asso., Taiwan== Based on such consideration, we are willing to…as long as the business wants to offer some practical compensation to plaintiffs, then we are willing to yield a step. We made a proper discussion for a settlement. Kaohsiung's Tashu Junior High School has 586 people petitioned for compensation, it has the highest number of plaintiffs. ==(VOICE:) WANG CHUN-CHE Principal, Kaohsiung Municipal Dashu Junior High School== When we were discussing this issue in school, we actually did not expect how much the compensation would be. We believe it is only an experience, what matters is its educational meaning rather than compensation amount. This is Taiwan's first group legal action over food safety and won compensation. A Kaohsiung consumer protection officer said, the Education Bureau is to assist in distributing compensation to schools. TRANSLATED BY: ANTHONY LIN 三年前正義油品生產劣質油品，流入全台國中小營養午餐，台灣消保會代為提起團訟，二審期間雙方以940萬元達成和解，創下全國第一起食安團訟實際獲得賠償金的紀錄，全台32所學校5千315名師生，可獲得1012元和2182元不等的賠償金。 103年全台爆發一連串食安風暴，其中正義油品公司所生產的劣質豬油，流入全台國中、小營養午餐，台灣消保會提起團體訴訟，協助消費者代位求償，去年六月，一審判處正義公司賠償936萬9千元，雖然消保會不滿上訴，但因訴訟歷時2年，受害師生後續恐難以聯繫，因此接受法院提議，和正義公司以940萬元達成和解。 ==台灣消保會理事長 楊月雲== （一審)有一部分是有判賠 一部分因為某些原因沒有理賠 所以我們就覺得比較有理由的 我們原則上就是2千塊 比較沒有理由的 是以1千塊為基礎 我們就把這錢計算出來 全台32所學校5315名師生，勝訴者每人可獲得2182元，敗訴者可分配1012元。台灣消保會強調，多方考量之下，選擇和解，且和解前已獲得近9成學校同意。 ==台灣消保會律師 許仲盛== 我們基於這種考量 所以我們願意說 只要這些業者 願意給這些消費者 有一些實質的填補 那我們願意做一定的讓步 我們才會經過妥善的討論 願意做一個和解的動作 高雄市大樹國中師生共586人提出求償，是全台最多人的學校。 ==聲音來源 高雄市大樹國中校長 王俊哲== 一開始我們在跟 我們學校討論的時候 其實我們也不太會期望 賠償金額會有多少 因為我們覺得說 這是一個歷程而已 我們其實比較重視在教育意義 而不是賠償金額 而這也是國內第一起食安團訟，實際獲得賠償的案例，高雄市消保官表示，將透過教育局協助，由學校代為發放。 記者 李淑蘭 陳顯坤 高雄報導