Boxed in: Taiwan’s workforce faces overwhelming obstacles

The China Post
Date: July 4, 2016
By: Yuan-Ming Chiao

TAIPEI, Taiwan — A trending topic in Taiwan in the past few weeks has been labor issues, from the striking flight attendants of national carrier China Airlines, to the recent government kerfuffle over how to implement the fabled 40-hour week for a workforce generally accustomed to long hours. Management teams are maneuvering to offset costs while workers are trying to overcome decades of depressed wages.

While the flight attendants could claim victory as their demands were quickly met amid a labor strike, the government’s decision last week to institute a “flexible day off” and to scale down on seven public holidays — which it restored just days beforehand — represents one of its steepest challenges to date: finding a workable middle ground between companies and their employees.

Following the shocking results of Brexit in the United Kingdom, Taiwan’s National Development Council minister rightly pointed out that events in Europe were less likely to have significant impact on Taiwan’s economy than would potential uncertainties brought on by disputes between labor and capital. Yet, correctly identifying the problem, while important, does not automatically translate to addressing the issues that can bring fundamental change.     [FULL  STORY]