Academics call for more transparency in labor measures

Academics yesterday called for greater transparency in government policy on employment to make a real impact.

The Council of Labor Affairs’ (CLA) two-day International Conference on Employment Policy Trend invited speakers from six countries — including the US, Australia and South Korea — and attracted hundreds of labor academics, government officials, human resource specialists and union representatives.

Speaking at the event, CLA Minister Jennifer Wang (王如玄) said one of the main goals of the forum was to learn from the experience of different countries to build “collective wisdom” that could be used as an aid in drafting employment policies.

“I used to be a social activist, so I know it's easy to point the finger and criticize,” Wang said. “But it's not as easy to create successful employment policies.”

One of the speakers, Joseph Lee (李誠), vice principal of National Central University, said that policies should be flexible to allow businesses to compete in a free market but at the same time provide protection to workers.

Lee said that since 2000, the Taiwanese government has implemented different measures, including introducing an individual pension system, regulating mass layoffs and adjusting the minimum wage, to meet changing labor demands.

However, workers still feel vulnerable to drastic changes in the economy, while businesses complain about over-regulation of the labor market, he said.

“This contradictory image of the labor market in Taiwan is a major disadvantage in attracting foreign investment into the country,” he said. “This is a lose-lose situation.”

Lee said government officials should strive to make policies that are clear and transparent to earn the trust of workers and businesses alike.

He also called for regulations that would protect the rights and benefits of part-time and temporary workers in proportion to full-time workers, so that part-timers do not become second-rate citizens in the job market.

“Taiwan needs labor policies that are tailor-made to meet its needs, not just copies of other countries,” he said.