With globalization, the labor market has become increasingly competitive, driven by supply chain management at multinational corporations, international social dumping and escalating labor rights concerns. Regional labor rights advocacy has emerged as a critical issue.
As economic integration deepens in the Asia-Pacific region, agreements such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership are reshaping labor market rules. The protection of labor rights is no longer confined to domestic boundaries, but demands regional cooperation for breakthroughs.
Against this backdrop, the question of who could lead Taiwan’s unions to advance regional labor rights advocacy warrants careful consideration.
Among Taiwan’s strongest union organizations are those associated with privatized state-owned enterprises, such as the Labor Union of China Steel Corp, the Taiwan Railway Labor Union and the Taiwan Federation of Financial Unions. These unions have deep roots, large memberships and significant mobilization power.
However, their focus remains narrowly centered on internal corporate issues.
For example, the railway union primarily addresses long working hours and overwork through internal labor-management negotiations, with little engagement in regional or international labor union collaboration.
Similarly, the steel union has successfully secured significant benefits for its employees in areas such as wage negotiations, year-end bonuses and welfare improvements, but it has rarely expressed positions or invested resources in regional or international labor issues. In response to global steel market challenges, such as overcapacity and price competition, it has not proposed concrete initiatives or action plans to address the collective labor rights of steelworkers in Asia.
This reflects the longstanding tendency of state-owned enterprise unions to focus on internal issues — what could be described as an “insular climate.” Such unions are primarily engaged in labor-management dialogue and the protection of employees’ internal rights, but lack the vision and motivation to participate in broader labor rights advocacy.
The financial union has a stable membership structure and ample financial resources, often holding an advantageous position in labor-management negotiations.
However, when confronted with trends such as the digital transformation of the financial industry and outsourcing policies, it tends to focus on safeguarding employment security. It demonstrates little interest and low levels of participation in advocating for the rights of employees at multinational financial institutions or in collaborating with international financial workers’ unions.
This limitation arises from internal and external constraints. Internally, members prioritize improvements in wages and working conditions over seemingly distant regional labor concerns. Organizational cultures tend to favor maintaining traditional operational models over venturing into new areas.
Externally, Taiwanese unions are politically confined to narrow roles as “employee representatives,” with little public expectation for broader advocacy on regional or global issues.
In contrast, federations of autonomous industry unions offer greater flexibility and broader issue-based advocacy. These unions address cross-industry labor concerns, such as wage adjustments and workplace safety, reflecting the diverse needs of emerging sectors. Their agile structure and international outlook position them well for regional advocacy.
However, they face significant challenges, including limited financial resources, smaller memberships and internal divisions over priorities. Their influence in Taiwan’s political and social arenas remains relatively weak, necessitating greater efforts to secure policy support and public recognition.
Nevertheless, their international collaborations and advocacy strategies make them uniquely positioned to address issues such as social dumping, forced labor and cross-border labor dialogue.
Taiwan’s unions must extend their focus beyond domestic concerns to play a greater role in regional labor rights advocacy. While privatized state-owned enterprise unions possess substantial resources, they are hindered by internal and external constraints.
Federations of autonomous industry unions, despite their challenges, demonstrate greater adaptability and potential for international collaboration.
By improving cooperation, securing policy support, and fostering partnerships with non-governmental organizations and academic institutions, Taiwan’s unions could play a pivotal role in advancing regional labor rights and creating a fairer labor environment across the Asia-Pacific region.
Chu Jou-juo is a professor in the Department of Labor Relations at National Chung Cheng University.
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