The battle between Minister of Transportation and Commun-ications Yeh Chu-lan (
People may have different views on who is right and who is wrong, but it should be pointed out that the CTWU is one of the few labor unions among state-run businesses that operates effectively.
In addition, most other unions in Taiwan are far behind the CTWU in size and strength.
People First Party Legislator Chin Huei-chu (
According to her investigation, labor unions operate in only 50 of the 98 major foreign companies in Taiwan. She further condemned these foreign companies for having an "imperialist" and "colonialist" attitude.
Ironically, if we closely examine statistics produced by Chin herself, we see that foreign corporations are actually model companies in Taiwan.
Local companies are way behind them in terms of union activity. Take Taiwan's leading industry, the high-tech manufacturing sector, for example. Surprisingly, none of the famous high-tech companies in the Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park have a labor union. Many of the workers there have been warned not to attempt to form a union, and have been threatened with immediate dismissal if they do so. Prospective employees are also asked to state their position on labor unions at interview in order that the bosses may take this into account when deciding whether to hire them.
Thus, politically well-connected heads of Taiwanese businesses with great public and even international images seem to adopt the same principle -- no labor unions.
What can a labor union do for its members? Quite frankly, most labor unions in Taiwan are just like capons: they have very limited functions.
Since Taiwan's labor unions are set up on a company-by-company or factory-by-factory basis rather than by whole professions or industries, union members' power and influence are usually weak compared to those of their bosses -- who possess great capital and control the company's resources.
Nevertheless, if the union can unite the majority of workers and cultivate an enduring spirit of solidarity and the cadre members are not directly appointed by management, it is still possible for a union to gain certain benefits and respect for its members.
Why are local companies so hostile toward labor unions?
It is much less due to their worries about possible labor uprisings than their unwillingness to share their rights with others. Many of Taiwan's managers have always believed that, "I can do whatever I want since the company is mine."
With such a patriarchy, of course workers who want to initiate labor unions are viewed as a challenge to their authority and as unwelcome troublemakers.
The capitalists who suppress labor unions are actually in our own back yard. Local business leaders should also be condemned when we accuse foreign companies for not supporting labor unions.
As for those who do not support labor unions, I believe they are the ones who keep the Labor-Capital Office of the Department of the Council of Labor Affairs (
Huang Jui-ming is an assistant professor at the Department of Labor Relations of National Chung Cheng University.
Translated by Eddy Chang
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