Globalization, 
Taiwan women worker’s economic and social rights
                                               by Yvonne Lin Mei-Jung
Labor Policy in Taiwan
      In 1945 Taiwan’s occupation by the Japanese ended, but the island entered
new period of colonialization. 
      From that time until today, Taiwan Kuomintang, KMT government used the “Control of workers by oppressing working condition to promote and increase investments for the economic development.”
      The Government never tried to make policy to protect labor rights.  In 1984 the labor Standards Law(LSL)passed but is not followed.  Unions negotiate rights only to a 0.3% extent, as they are almost totally controlled by the businessmen and KMT party.  Taiwan doesn’t disturb the “ the welfare system in the capitalism”  When an economic crisis closed the factories down, the government asked the employees to pay money for dismissal compensation.  The owners of middle-size companies usually ran away to South Asia countries looking for cheap labor to run a factory over their again without obligation to take care workers who sacrifice themselves for the economic development of the nation.

Labor organizations in Taiwan
      The political and civil rights in Taiwan had litter changed;. laborers can have rights to work, have unions, an .image of democracy, freedom of speech, but the rights for labor, farmer, women, indigenous peoples, need to be improved by more Economic and Social Rights.
      Male workers in Taiwan struggle to get a reform of labor policy.  Female workers have even more difficulties in their struggle under family, society, and tradition oppression.
      From 1995 workers try to establish of independent and general unions. In 1997 their nine Country and City Manufacturing General Unions were organized, they did network with government-run business like:  Electric Power, Oil, Railway, union members working together to establish the  “The National Trade Union(NTU)” with 200,000 manufacture workers, They also tried to power exchange with the Chinese Federation of Labour (CFL) which has 3,000,000 members, including middle and small business man and 300,000 factory workers. To get the political power to make a new labor policy.  On May day 20,000 workers were organized by NTU to participate activities on the street expressing their opinion to the “Dream of New Society”.

Trade Unions and Members             Statistics by Council of Labor Affairs(CLA)
     Items	      1995	      1996	      1997	
 General Union	       25 factories	       25 factories	       25 factories	
 Trade Union	       20 factories	       20 factories	       20 factories	
 Craft Union	       42 items	       43 items	       46 items	
 Industrial Unions 	    1,204factories	    1,190 factories	    1,196 factories	
Industrial Unions 	  598,479members	  587,559 members	 588,997 members	
 Craft Unions	    2,413 factories	    2,422 factories	    2,427 factories	
 Craft Unions	2,537,396 members	2,460,711 members	2,363,886 members	
 Total Unions	    3,707 factories	    3,700 factories	    3,714 factories	
Total Union Members	3,135,875 members	3,048,270 members	2,952,883 members	
 Types of work in	Taiwan	    by Department of the	Executive Yuan 	
   Year 	 Total	 Agriculture	Industrial	(manufacture)	 Services	
  1995	9,045,000
  	954,000        10.55%	3,504,000 38.74%	(2,449,000) (27.08%)	 4,587,000
  50.71%	
  1996	9,068,000	 918,000  10.12%	3,399,000
  37.24%	(2,422,000)
  (26.71%)	4,751,000   52.39%	
  1997	9,566,000	 899,000 9.40%	3,615,000 37.80%	(2,688,000) (28.10%)	5,041,000
 52.17%	
						
      Work	Participation	in Taiwan				
   Years	  Average	   Female	   Male	
   1995	  58.68%	   45.34%	  72.03%	
   1996	  58.44%	   45.76%	  71.13%	
   1997	  58.33%	   45.64%	  71.09%	

Economic Globalization and unemployment
     In a vivid public discussion gathering “ Economic Globalisation and Unemployment”,  The academic panel contributors criticized the government amid afforts to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) having neglected the welfare of the local workers that had caused a rising unemployment rate (now 2.9%) the past two years.  The director of the Cabinet’s Manpower Planning Department Ms. Liu replied the unemployment has risen only a slight two percent in the mentioned period.  She defended Taiwan, an export depending country, has to face the global competition but foresaw an amendment of the LSL for better workers’ protection.
      Professor Yen of Chiayi Chung-Cheng University maintained many senior citizens and women have been forced to resign from their jobs without compensation from either the companies or the government. (According to the LSL a worker gets only a retirement after more than 25 years and at the age of 60 years male, 55 years female) “Many older workers have devoted more than 20 years to their companies and don’t even receive a penny in compensation when laid off”, told the quoted social affairs minded scholar.  She revealed:” Of the 3,600,000 women one in three must quit their jobs if they are married.”  President of Rerum Novarum Center’s board Jesuit Father Lius Gutheinz presenting the concern of the Church stressed the person’s values as image of God must not be sacrificed to get a higher and faster economic output.  “ The basic needs and freedom of the labor have to be respected,”

    At the Third World Forum 17-20 February 1997 in Bombay, India, Dr.
Samir Amin said: "The logic of globalization leads to a new form of
polarization. The countries on the periphery in this situation can
achieve modernization and industrialization through capital or through
state enterprises. Agriculture also will be modernized. Most of the
industrial and agricultural production will be located in these
countries in Asia, Africa and Latino-America. They, however. will become
economies that function as subcontractors. The putting out system will
embrace entire nations and economies. The countries at the center at the
same time achieve a monopoly and a total control in five areas. These
are: Science, technology and knowledge, finance, natural resources, mass
communications and sophisticated armaments. The countries of the center
will witness limited and restricted production."

The alternative to globalization and its exploiting effects can only be
sought in a national project with a social progressive base and a
functioning democracy. The achievement of this project depends on the
reorganization and reawakening of political forces. This would be the
phase of the real internationalism of the working class.

Solidarity between the workers in a nation and among the states on the
periphery will decide over the survival of millions and their dignity in
the future. It starts with the emphasis on the development of the local
community at home, isn't it?