To combat unemployment, the government recently proposed a NT$20 billion project to create public-service jobs and a NT$50 billion program of public construction projects, aiming to help between 70,000 and 80,000 jobless people over a six-month period. The two programs, however, not only circumvent the Labor Standards Law (勞基法) but also run counter to the government's recent streamlining policy.
Since the government has prioritized the development of a knowledge economy, it should use the right knowledge to boost the economy and promote corresponding policies. But the government has failed to lend weight to talent-training programs.
Relieving unemployed people does not stir opposition. If the government simply takes shortcuts to resolve the problem without improving the fundamental factors (such as reduced investment, insufficient worker skills and China's lower wages and business cost), then the problem will remain after six months or even a year. The unemployment situation will only get worse.
According to the Temporary Provisions for Expanding Employment Through Public Service (
The government should map out comprehensive plans to combat unemployment, rather than streamlining the civil service while pushing for the hiring of short-term workers. It should also coordinate education and vocational training to satisfy social needs, rather than using short-term methods.
It will take more than the Council of Labor Affairs alone to resolve the unemployment problem because investment is the important factor in creating jobs and stimulating economic growth. Resorting to short-term relief programs without attracting investment to tackle unemployment is only an opportunistic approach.
Investors will not take risks if policies are unstable and the government is heavily in debt. The government should categorize the unemployed and use state resources to improve their skills because those trained by schools and the Council of Labor Affairs' Employment and Vocational Training Administration do not fit society's current needs.
In the past, losses incurred by policy blunders could be gradually made up. But in the digital era, in which speed is all important, the gap between workers' skills and society's needs will become wider if old training methods are still used.
A pressing matter for the Council of Labor Affairs is to match vocational training with society's needs. The Ministry of Education should take into consideration the nation's future development direction when planning the establishment of academic departments at schools.
The government should discuss with investors on how to keep businesses from moving to China to save on wages. Employees in Taiwan are more productive than their Chinese counterparts. They deserve higher salaries.
The gap between basic wages and the salaries that businesses are willing to pay should be bridged by the government. This is much better than simply giving subsidies to unemployed workers, who will not learn any new skills and might lose their new jobs after a period of time anyway. This will also make businesses more willing to stay in Taiwan.
Wang Chung-yu is a legislator for the KMT.
Translated by Jackie Lin
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