I have been working at Taipower for sixteen years. It's not easy to get into it: the company is one of Taiwan's major government enterprises. I had to pass competitive written and oral tests and receive three months' training before I started work. The training was strict, but I think it was really helpful. Actually, I didn't know anything about electrical equipment before I came here. The pre-work training made me understand my job and learn how to protect myself from danger as well. I can clearly remember how nervous I felt when I first had to climb up high to do a job.
I've done several different jobs over the past sixteen years. At first I was assigned to maintenance duties in one of the company's power stations. I had to check the electricity supply regularly. When the power supply failed, I had to do repairs and bring it back on line. Why does the power supply sometimes fail? Usually it's because the controlling authority wants to save electricity during peak times, or something goes wrong with the equipment. When the power fails, we always get a lot of phone calls from local residents, complaining. They ask us what's gone wrong, and pressure us to bring power back on line. I can sympathize, because it's really inconvenient when the power goes down. But in fact they should call our service department rather than us.
After I'd been with Taipower for ten years I was made an on-shift worker. That means that I had to monitor the operation of transformers and handle any emergencies. It's round-the-clock work. Two years after that, automation in power stations had advanced to the point where we didn't need to watch the machines any longer. Then I transferred to being an electrical operator at headquarters. That involved maintenance, too. At present I'm the leader of a team responsible for doing regular transformer maintenance.
While I'm working I have to concentrate very hard, because if I get absent-minded I'm probably going to get hurt. An accident could be very serious. Burns. Maybe death. So no carelessness is tolerated. Some of my colleagues have died through carelessness. Not many, fortunately.
Because of this need for safety precautions, I have to prepare carefully before I get to work. For example, I must wear a safety helmet. I also need a safety belt, anti-slip rubber shoes, and special, all-cotton clothing that won't ignite. In addition, we need an indicator to test for live electricity before we go aloft to do our jobs. If the isolation poles are "live" the indicator will flash and beep, and we stop what we're doing immediately. My company is extremely safety conscious. I'm very well protected. I constantly receive on-the-job training, to keep me up to date. In addition, every one of us has to learn CPR in case of emergency. Tell you what, I've actually gotten a license from the National Defense Medical Center. [Laughs proudly.]
My work day's pretty typical, I suppose: eight hours a day. But sometimes I need to work overtime. Yes, during the typhoon season. You know as well as I do that power failures often happen during typhoons. We have to put in overtime to fix it. Sometimes we even need to work overnight.
My job needs a lot of strength. Climbing those ladders takes it out of you. And it needs concentration. I have to keep my eyes on what I'm doing, if I'm not to slip and fall. Yeah, you can say the job is dangerous. But as long as you're careful you don't need to worry too much. If you've got the experience, that is. People run into problems when they don't understand the job too well and yet think they're smart. It's important to watch, to gain experience, to be humble, and to read the manuals often. Electricity is intangible, invisible, and dangerous—workers need to be very careful.
Some members of the public think it's dangerous to work or live near a power station. They believe that our bodies can be affected by magnetic fields, and that living near a power station makes it more likely that you'll develop cancer. I've worked here for many years, I've never felt a magnetic field, and my health is good. I'll tell you something: you get more magnetism from a microwave oven, a hair dryer, or an electric shaver than you do from a power station. Some residents like to pro test whenever we want to build a new power station. No one needs worry about power stations. They're very safe. In recent years, my company has made great efforts to improve communications with the public. We hope to alter their perception of power stations.
Is my job professional? Yes, it is. We have to pass qualification tests before we can do our jobs, including transformer operation and maintenance. Even shift workers need qualifications. These qualification tests are set and supervised by my company, not the Examination Yuan [the government branch responsible for the examination, employment, and management of civil service personnel in Taiwan], but they are not easy. The examination you take depends on the number of years you've worked for the company. The tests become progressively more difficult as you advance in seniority.
The job isn't easy. But, even so, many young people compete to enter Taipower every year. In 1995, our company needed one hundred new technologists. How many candidates do you think there were? Guess! Twenty-seven hundred! And most of them were under twenty-five. Very young, right? The job is stable—that's why it attracts a lot of young men. A large percentage of my colleagues are around forty years old. I think that this stability accounts for the low turnover in my line of work.
My monthly salary is about NT$50,000 [US$1,850]. That's the top level for blue-collar workers in my company. I'm satisfied with the money I earn. The starting salary for a newcomer is NT$30,000 [US$1,110]. Pay increases with seniority and with your skills. The more qualifications you have, the higher your salary.
We have a professional association to mediate between labor and management. I'm one of the directors. Currently, about 98 percent of the staff are members. I think the association works very well. It's started to encourage members to take out life insurance in addition to standard national health insurance. Taipower also arranges a health examination for each worker every year.
I'm satisfied with my life. At present, I'm living with my wife and two children in a three-bedroom apartment owned by the company. I can walk to work every day. It's really convenient for me because being so close means I don't get stuck in traffic. So although our house is small, I'm very satisfied. We've lived there for sixteen years, since I began to work for Taipower in fact, but not every worker is allocated a company apartment. Only standby workers are qualified: we're the ones called out in case of emergency, so we have to live nearby.
I like to play tennis, read, and chat with my colleagues or friends over a glass of tea after work. Sundays, I often go for a drive with my family. My company plans outdoor activities for its employees every three months. In addition, every year it gives us some money toward an overseas holiday. But I haven't done that, because I need to save money while my children are still busy studying.
I'd like to repeat: I'm satisfied with my job, my company, and my life. Well...it might be better if the company consulted with its employees a little more about important policies, and gave us a share of the annual profits. I like my job because it's stable, and I can devote myself to the community.