Labor unions growing in strength though shrinking in membership

This important article was written by Graham Norris and published by the Taiwan Journal on September 2, 2005. It is a review of the history of Taiwan's union movements, from 1947 to now.

According to this article, all unions were banned before 1947. Even after 1950, unions were strictly controlled and frequently served the interests of those in power (instead of those who need to be represented).

It was only after the lifting of martial law in 1987 that organized labor outside the state-controlled system began to develop. This article discusses how, in the early years of Taiwan's union movements, workers and opposition parties often worked together to have their voices heard by the government. Later, during the 1990s, the development of union movements was affected by all kinds of political and economic changes, including the privatization of Taiwan's various industries and the decision of many manufacturing industries to relocate to China. Taiwan's move towards a service-based economy is also an important factor.

The article provides plenty of detailed discussion on Taiwan's labor laws and how they have been enforced. Unions now have more say in policy making processes, while all enterprises and companies are required by law to set up a labor-management committee. Most significantly, the number of disputes recorded by the Council of Labor Affairs has been growing steadily, from 1,860 in 1990, to 10,838 in 2004. This increase shows that Taiwan's labors are not afraid to speak up and fight for their rights any more.