Labor Welfare

Article 154 of the ROC Constitution stipulates that employer and employee should cooperate with each other in order to enhance business. Based on this principle, the Basic Labor Law was enacted, ensuring labor rights, establishing employer-employee ethics, increasing productivity, and promoting economic development.

Labor Movement

Labor movements are a natural phenomenon in developed nations. In addition to enforcing the Basic Labor Law, efforts have been made by the government to strengthen labor administration, upgrade labor service quality, guide and help union organizations, mediate between employer and employee, ensure stable production, strengthen guidance to contracting parties, implement bonus and dividend systems, and protect labor rights.

Labor Welfare Improvement Labor welfare is the key to smooth employer-employee relations. In order to increase labor welfare, measures have been taken to assist working people obtain loans for purchasing and repairing housing to actively help solve their housing problems, build recreational facilities, upgrade labor education, assist enterprises and vocational welfare organizations to set up household necessity supply systems and nursery services, expand collective weddings and social get-togethers for unmarried workers, sponsor skill evaluation and competition, and establish a labor license policy. There are now 6,826 labor welfare organizations in Taiwan, benefiting 958,770 people. In addition, for the purpose of better safety and sanitation conditions, the government has put emphasis on supervising and testing work conditions, especially safety devices, and appointed hospitals to accept workers' health insurance.

Labor Insurance Labor insurance has been in force since 1950. It has succeeded in protecting the laborer and maintaining social stability. Based on the labor insurance program, the government plans to establish an insurance program to cover all citizens by the year 1995. Through the end of 1993, a total of 8,144,183 workers had been insured under the labor insurance program. They paid US$7.46 billion but received US$23.33 billion in payment of claims, a ratio of 1:3.13 Medical insurance ranked highest, accounting for 59.45% of total payment.

Vocational Guidance

Rapid economic growth and population increase have made vocational guidance an urgent task for the government to undertake in order to fully utilize manpower resources. There are 22 vocational guidance centers dividing their operations into five different zones in Taiwan. With modern facilities and a complete network, these centers have successfully coordinated job opportunities and utilization of manpower. From Jan. to Dec. in 1994, 50,316 people found employment through these centers. These counseling centers have served to reduce the unemployment rate and the social problems and juvenile delinquency among unemployed youth. The unemployment rate in 1994 was 1.48%. In order to meet the needs of the transforming social structure, to promote industrial improvement, and to accelerate economic development, the two vocational training centers in northern and southern Taiwan and regional employment service centers consult industry's needs and provide job training in, for example, lathe operation, furniture-making and plumbing, as well as other fields. Provincial Government owned banks have also been asked to provide starter loans to help young trainees open up their own business.

Harmony between Employer and Employee

In order to enhance the harmony between employer and employee, the Provincial Government has recently mapped out the five following points as a general guideline: (I ) establish the idea of equality and respect between the two parties; (2) keep communication channels open between the two parties; (3) the employer should upgrade the benefits for the employee and the employee should fulfill his duties; (4) both parties should have a balanced rights and obligations recognition; and (5) resolve labor disputes in a spirit of fairness.

Labor Safety and Sanitation

In order to ensure labor safety and sanitation, the Provincial Government strictly supervises working conditions inspection, ordinary safety and sanitation inspection, vocational sanitation inspection, and dangerous machines or equipment inspection, as well as actively encouraging improvements in factory work environments, strengthening labor safety and sanitation services, expanding labor safety and sanitation regulations, prevention guidance and educational training. We are also actively promoting environmental monitoring of industry, promoting awareness of danger and pollution, implementing investigation and analysis of workplace hazards and studying preventive measures to forestall the occurrence of industrial accidents.