Fly Away Home: Young Taiwanese Workers in Shanghai under the Cross-Strait Employment and Welfare Context
Date Issued
2015
Date
2015
Author(s)
Cheng, Yi-Ching
Abstract
The Development of Taiwanese migrant workers in China could change as time goes by. Nowadays, these workers are not necessarily directors or managers in traditional manufacturing industry that come from Taiwanese companies. These workers could also be low level white-collar or gray-collar workers. They could work in diversified industries such as service, design or financial industry and provide their labor forces in foreign or Mainland companies. Therefore, with the diversified choice of industries and working channels, the employment environment and social security issues for the young workers are different, when compared with Taiwanese businessmen in the past. In this context, this study attempts to ask and figure out why these young workers leave Taiwan? How do they leave? Furthermore, are the cross-strait differences in social security systems, the retirement insurance, unemployment insurance, medical insurance, occupational accident insurance, and labor dispute become important factors when they consider working in China? Do the employment environment and social security system affect their willingness to stay in China or back to Taiwan? This study is conducted with in-depth interview. 14 Taiwanese young migrant workers in Shanghai City aging from 22-32 are invited. Because of the limitations of this study, I choose Shanghai City as my research area, which exists the competition of capital and human resources as well as the gathering of transnational workers. These young workers are asked how do they think about employment and social security issues under there different stage in their career in China: before working in China, working in China, and future planning. There are three main findings of this study: 1. Taiwanese companies are not attractive to young workers. These companies adopt a “consumptive” labor force philosophy, which makes young workers more willingness to work in foreign companies or Mainland companies. 2. The social security system in Taiwan becomes more and more unattractive for young workers. This study shows that the wage is the core value for them. The younger and those hired locally tend to have less linkage with social security in Taiwan. 3. Young migrant workers do not think the social security system to be a factor for them. Although link up the cross-strait system to recognize the “years of working experience” in China hoping to protect their labor rights and lure the workers back, these young workers, however, consider that the system becomes a push power for them and thus, would prefer staying and developing their career in China. This study suggests that: Firstly, Taiwan should raise salary and enhance industrial competitiveness. The salary is a key issue for young workers. If the salary in Taiwan is higher than other country, link-up cross-strait social security systems could be an important factor for the young people. Secondly, we should pay more focus on the impact of National Health Insurance system to those migrant workers. In the social security issues we discussed above, it is the health insurance system that causes every worker’s attention. However, because of the raising quality of medical service in China and the complicated insurance payment in Taiwan, the less benefits of National Health Insurance system, are created for young people. Accordingly, a re-examination of the insurance system is needed. Thirdly, we must face up the rights of migrant workers. As the government deal with the issues of these workers in China more positively, the workers derive more belongings toward Taiwan.
Subjects
Transnational Labor
Career Development
Young People
Employment Environment
Social Security
SDGs
Type
thesis
File(s)![Thumbnail Image]()
Loading...
Name
ntu-104-R00330012-1.pdf
Size
23.54 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum
(MD5):b05cea266d792cc4e1a014534436ca8f