The Masquerade without Mask

The mutual economic and trade relation between Taiwan and the Philippines has shown its real face behind the friendly veil because of the "misunderstanding" in July and August, and asserted its essence as sacrificing the working masses.

Originally, it was only a dispute concerning the uneven interest distribution between the two airlines. However, since it happened in the midst of the controversial "two-states policy", when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines uttered something contradictory to the political circumstances in Taiwan, it seemed to offend Taiwanese politicians and they took advantage of this opportunity to make waves. The Taiwan authority then used "Stop import Filipino workers" as counters in bargaining and to retaliate on RP Government. Taiwan broker agencies especially seized this chance to complain and accuse the Philippine government of having requested too much from the Taiwan brokers in the name of protecting Filipino workers. What we have been seeing is that Filipino workers, who have nothing to do with this air agreement, suddenly have become persons concerned and the ones to be blamed.


CLA authorities and Taiwan brokers happily stated that "We have already built labor training centers in other countries." That is to say, when those "untamed" Filipino workers are driven away, they will import some workers who are more "tame and gentle" and will not fight against employers and brokers. We can clearly see the logic of market : Under the pro-capitalist government's protection, capitalists can not only close plants arbitrarily and export capital, but also exploit working masses perfectly justifiably under the assistance of brokers and regulation planned by the government.

Therefore, in this masquerade hosted by Taiwan and Philippines, every one lifts the beautiful and graceful veils, and shamelessly enjoys delicious food with knives and forks. Who are the sacrifice on the dinner table, then? We are afraid that it will not only be the Filipino workers. The local workers will be the indirect victims that are most seriously affected when working conditions are getting worsened and worsened.

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社論：脫下面具的化妝舞會

中菲看似友好互利的雙邊經貿關係，在七八月間的一場‘誤會’中，赤裸裸地展現了友好面具背後，以犧牲工人群眾為本質的面孔。

原本僅是兩國航空公司間利益不均的糾紛，卻因發生在「兩國論」的熱頭上，惹得台灣各界趁機作態。於是台灣當局便把「停止引進菲勞」當作報復菲國政府的談判籌碼；台灣的相關仲介業者更藉此機會大吐苦水，指責菲國政府假借保護菲勞權益，對台灣仲介業者索求無度。於是，菲勞這個航權談判的局外人，一下變成人人喊打的當事者。

如同勞委會官員所言，也如同仲介業者們所津津樂道的：台灣當局已經在其他各國設立勞工訓練中心。也就是說，趕走這一批‘九怪’的菲勞後，即將引進的，會是較聽話、較馴服的移工，不再會使業者們有‘被爬到頭上’的感覺。所以，我們可以清楚地看到，「市場機制」的邏輯：資本家在親資方政府的大力相挺下，除了可以隨性地關廠、將資本外移；或在親資方政府的規劃和仲介業者的相助下，名正言順地進行剝削勞動群眾的勾當。

於是，在這場台菲雙方共同參與的化妝舞會上，大家紛紛丟掉種種漂亮的偽裝，拿著刀叉盡情地爭奪宴席上的美味，至於餐桌外的犧牲是什麼，恐怕不只是菲勞吧！台灣勞工將成為勞動條件被壓榨後最嚴重的間接受害者！

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Workers' Conference on National Affairs Is Coming

The Promoting Preparing Committee for National Confederation of Industrial Trade Unions (PPCNCITU, or NCITU) is organizing the Workers’ Conference on National Affairs (WCNA) on the 29th and 30th of Sep.. Participants in the conference will include members of NCITU, delegates from independent trade unions, labor organizations, scholars and experts. They will discuss the present significant issues concerning workers. Discussion topics in WCNA are divided into three sections: “Labor and Economy” (labor conditions, union organizations, occupational hazards, migrant workers, strikes and industrial disputes, industrial democracy), “Labor and Society (retirement , privatization of state-owned enterprises, female labor, labor and housing, un-employment), and “Labor and Politics” (evaluation of political praxis of trade unions, election and political systems, consolidation of workers’ political power).

NCITU believes that there has been “political liberalization” in Taiwan, but it is still not genuine democracy. Because of the unequal treatment to labor in working places, society and politics, it is still a situation under martial laws for the employed labor. Therefore, NCITU decided to organize this conference to analyze the unjust policies , and propose concrete suggestions regarding labor, social and political issues.

There are three optional drafts about the theme of the conference, “Farewell to the Old Century and toward A New Society”. It is said that confederations of trade unions including Kilusang Mayo Uno (or May 1st Movement) of the Philippines, Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and Zenrokyo (or National Association of Labor) of Japan will be invited to speak in the conference. The government of Kaohsiung City helped a lot in assisting their activities financially.

We would like to propose two expectations from WCNA. Firstly, through the discussion of migrant issues, migrant and local workers can know each other better. Secondly, migrants can follow the development of this conference for the better interaction with the local labor movement.

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勞工國是會議即將召開

全國產業總工會推動籌備委員會將於九月廿九、卅日舉行勞工國是會議，全產總的各籌備單位、各地自主工會代表、工運團體和學者專家們都將與會，討論當前與勞工密切相關的各項重大議題。會議的討論項目分為勞工與經濟（勞動條件、工會組織、職災與工傷、移住勞工、罷工與勞資爭議、產業民主）、勞工與社會（退休制度、公營事業私有化、女性勞動、勞工與住宅、失業與就業），以及勞工與政治（工會的政治實踐經驗總結、選舉與政治制度、勞工政治力量集結）三組。

全產總認為，當前台灣的政治已經「自由化」，但仍然未達到真正的民主；由於勞工在工作場所中、在社會上、政治上仍遭受不平等的待遇，對受薪勞動者來說等於還在戒嚴狀態。因此全產總決定舉辦這個會議，解析目前政策的不當之處，並就勞動、社會、政治等面向提出具體的想法與建議。

大會的主題目前有「告別舊世紀、邁向新社會」等三個方案。據了解，包括菲律賓五一工聯、南韓民主勞總、日本全勞協等總工會都會應邀參與致詞。高雄市政府協辦了這個活動，相當程度在經費上解決了全產總的困難。

我們願意在此提出對於大會的兩個期望：第一是希望能透過移住勞工的議題，讓移工和本勞間能夠更好地相互了解；第二是希望移工們也能注意這個會議的發展，以便和本地的工人運動有更好的互動。

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A Learning Process for Solidarity and Struggle: On NCITU /CHIU

Yu-Bin, Secretary of Chinese Telecommunication Workers' Union

The solidarity action of workers have been cruelly oppressed by the ruling class in a long term in Taiwan as well as in other Asian countries. Since the 1980s, Taiwan workers have overcome tremendous oppression to initiate a new wave of independent union movement. Workers have transformed the yellow unions or built new ones, and the rights of working class began to be partially protected. However, the national organizations of unions are still limited. The only legal general federation, the “National General Federation of China” is a super big yellow union controlled by the KMT and the capitalists. There is no genuine national organization belonging to Taiwan workers.

It did not change until 1997, when independent trade unions in grassroots formed county-level federations of industrial trade unions in Taipei city and county, Kaohsiung city and county, Tainan, Miaoli, Hsinchu and Ilan counties. In addition to organizing the workers, these 8 federations began to challenge the regulations set up by the ruling class, and try to form alliance with some trans-area unions , such as Chinese Telecommunication Workers' Union, Taiwan Oil Trade Union, Taiwan Electricity Power Trade Union, Taiwan Railway Trade Union, Federation of Trade Unions of Taiwan Tobacco and Wine Monopoly Bureau, Ta-Tung Industrial Trade Union, and have established the PPCNCITU, with the hope of developing the labor movement as the primary social force in Taiwan. NCITU organized “Rally for the Dream of a New Society” on May 1st, 1998, the greatest mobilization of workers in Taiwan since WWII. The May 1st this year organized the rally of “The Nightmare of the New Taiwanese -- Anti-Unemployment,”in which more than half of counties and cities in Taiwan held simultaneous rallies.

It is difficult to put the slogan “Workers’ Solidarity” into praxis. But more than 400 grassroots unions with more than 250,000 members are beginning to transform this slogan to action. Although NCITU is still in the process of promoting and preparing, the goal of our learning and struggle is set to organize nation wide, to fight against the political and economic regime monopolized by the government and capitalists.

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一個團結與鬥爭的學習過程--關於全國產業總工會

/中華電信工會秘書 邱毓斌

和許多亞洲國家一樣，工人的團結行動長期以來都受到統治階級無情地打壓。從一九八零年代開始，台灣勞工突破層層的壓制而展開新一波的工會自主運動，工人開始改造閹雞工會或者籌設新的工會，工人階級的權利開始獲得部份的改善。但是，在全國性的工會聯合組織方面，仍然受到限制，唯一合法的總工會是「全國總工會」，它是受到國民黨以及資方控制的一個超大型閹雞工會。台灣工人沒有屬於自己的全國性工會組織。

這樣的情形一直到1997年才有改變，包括台北縣市、高雄縣市、台南縣、苗栗縣、新竹縣、宜蘭縣的基層自主工會籌組了縣市層級的產業總工會，這八個縣市總工會除了積極發展工人組織力量之外，也開始挑戰統治階級設下的規定，試圖聯合其他大型的跨區域工會：中華電信工會、台灣石油工會、台灣電力工會、台灣鐵路工會、菸酒工會聯合會、台灣汽車客運工會、大同產業工會，共同籌組了「全國產業總工會推動籌備委員會」，希望將工人集結成台灣社會的一股主要力量。我們在1998年勞動節發動了「新社會之夢大遊行」，是台灣二次戰後最大的一次工人集體行動，今年的五一則發動了「新台灣人之惡夢--反失業大遊行」，台灣超過一半的縣市在勞動節當天勞工同步遊行。

勞工的團結要從口號變成實際行動是相當困難的，但是我們這四百多個基層工會、累計超過二十五萬名會員正開始要將口號變成行動。全國產業總工會雖然還在推動籌組的階段，但是擴大全國工人組織力量、挑戰由官資連手壟斷的政治經濟體制將是我們學習與奮鬥的目標。

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Except their labor force, what else the migrant workers have to pay? Placement Fee and Others

Filipino migrant workers in Taiwan pay exorbitant placement fees. Besides this, they have to pay a third year extension fee and employers deduct up to one third of their salary as forced savings to prevent them from running away.

Both the Philippine and Taiwan governments turn a blind eye to these unjust practices. While the two governments acknowledge that Filipino migrants should only pay one month of their basic wage of $NT15, 840 plus other fees that the Philippine government imposes for a total of $NT24, 000. In practice, however, Filipino workers pay up to as high as $NT182, 000 in placement fees.

On the other hand, the third year extension fee and forced savings have been legalized. The Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) has made a regulation on the former, while the latter is already stipulated in the employment contract that has been agreed upon by the CLA and the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO).

In essence, both governments do not want to be held accountable to these unjust practices. For the Philippine government that is understandable since it has already deregulated its labor export program. For the Taiwan government, the CLA has always ruled in favor of the employers and private employment agencies more popularly known as brokers.

That is why both governments make it very hard for the migrant workers to assert their rights in fighting against these practices. Filipino workers have to file formal complaints against Philippine and Taiwanese private employment agencies for the government to act on their behalf. The Philippine government itself acknowledges as early as 1996 in its Overseas Employment/Travel Advisory for migrant workers to Taiwan that "the level of prevailing fees being charged workers bound for that country is however much more than the prescribed rates".

It has come to a point that Philippine officials blame the migrant workers for their woes. These officials say that the migrant workers did not listen to the Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS) or that they allowed themselves to be duped and even blame them for not complaining.

Taiwan authorities have a different approach. When the migrant workers file a formal complaint, the brokers conveniently show the CLA a promissory note that the migrant workers were forced to sign indicating that they have incurred a loan with the brokerage firm. The CLA accepts this as legitimate, which cannot be challenged in court. As to why the migrant workers incurred such a loan, which is larger than the legal placement fee, and to a foreign entity at that, the CLA does not offer any satisfactory answer.

In the first place it is not easy for the migrants to complain especially in their first year of stay in Taiwan. Besides the said fees, migrant workers who come in Taiwan before July 1st are taxed 20% of their income and they are made to pay health insurance. Either the migrant workers are still in debt if they paid in cash in the Philippines or they are only earning $NT3, 000 or less a month for a year because of salary deductions to pay for the placement fee.

This condition emboldens employers and brokers to exploit more the migrant workers. There are also company and dormitory rules that are so strict even for minor offenses like bring in your own food in dormitories. Penalties are imposed by the employers which the broker's employees who act as dorm coordinators implement and fines from $NT100 up are imposed. There is even one case in Asustek in Nankan wherein one migrant worker went out without her Alien Residence Certificate (ARC) and the coordinator decided to forcibly repatriate her back home. This is one of the most powerful weapons of employers and brokers alike, the threat of arbitrarily sending home migrant workers for whatever reason they would want.

Employers take advantage of the financial constraints of migrant workers and the threat of repatriation hanging like a Damocles' sword on the migrants that they flaunt the Labor Standards Law. There are many cases wherein the minimum wage is not given by imposing conditions for it to be fully paid. These are complete attendance, good quality of work and the like. Usually the overtime pay is pegged at the lower wage or it is paid not properly at all. There are even cases wherein the salaries are always delayed and other anomalies are committed.

Overall, however, it is the high cost of fees extracted on migrant workers both by the private placement agencies and the Philippine government and the big power exercised by the brokers over the migrants that cause the biggest headache among migrant workers. Essentially, the Philippine government benefits from the existence of brokers. It is the brokers that finds jobs for its citizens which in return fills up the government's coffers with its own fees and the remittances that the migrants send back home helps prop up the Philippine economy. It is also convenient for the Philippine government to blame the brokers, Philippine placement agencies, employers and even the CLA for the migrants woes. This would reach its climax next year when the Labor Export Program of the Philippine government would be fully deregulated. Meaning the government would ultimately exempt itself from any accountability for whatever misfortune and sufferings its migrant workers experience.

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除了勞動力以外，移工還要付出什麼？ --關於仲介費及其他

在台灣的菲律賓移工付過高的仲介費。除此之外，他們還必須付第三年的延期費用，且他們薪資的三分之一還得被雇主扣為強迫儲蓄，以防他們逃跑。

台灣政府和菲國政府雙方卻都無視於這些不公平的作為。雖然雙方政府都承認， 菲籍移工只應付一個月的基本薪資（台幣15840元），再加上菲國政府課徵的其他費用，共為台幣24000元。然而，實際上，菲籍移工付了高達18萬2千元的仲介費用。

另一方面，第三年的延期費與強迫儲蓄也已合法化。勞委會(CLA)已對前項做了規定，同時，後者也經勞委會及馬尼拉經濟文化辦事處 (MECO) 的同意，已在雇用契約上做了規定。

實質上是，雙方政府皆不願對這些不公平的作為負起責任。對菲國政府言，這些是可理解的，因為它早已將出口勞工政策去管制化。對台灣政府言，勞委會的規定一直是站在雇主和私人仲介業者的立場。

這就是為什麼雙方政府一直壓制移工為伸張權益而對這些作為的反抗。菲籍移工必須向政府正式提出對菲國和台灣仲介業者的申訴，以使政府為其伸張權益。甚至，菲國政府早在1996年，在其對移住台灣勞工的′海外雇用/旅遊諮詢′中，便提到“工人到該國一般被索取的費用，遠高於所規定的比率。”

更有甚者，菲律賓官員將菲籍移工的痛苦歸咎於移工們本身。官員們認為，移工們不聽′行前說明′(PDOS)的警告，或認為移工們放任自己受騙，更甚而責備他們不提出正式申訴。

台灣當局則有不同的作法。當移工們正式提出申訴時，仲介業者便向勞委會出示移工被強迫簽下的借據，指稱他們已向仲介公司借了一筆款項。勞委會承認這樣的借據是合法的，而在法院也成立。然而，對於移工為何向外國的仲介借貸高於 法定仲介費的額度，勞委會並沒有提出令人滿意的說明。

首先，對於移工而言，特別是在台第一年期間，申訴並不是一件容易的事。除了以上所說的費用外，在七月一日以前抵台者，會被徵收薪資的20％為賦稅，且他們還得交健保費。結果是，移工因在菲國付現金而負債，或者因每個月扣繳以償仲介費，而每月僅實領台幣3千元。

這樣的情形使得雇主及仲介業者得以大膽地剝削移民勞工。此外，有很多公司和宿舍的規定，這些規定甚至對於細微的事情都做了嚴厲的界定，如在大型宿舍中，帶自己的食物進入是被禁止的。處罰是由雇主制定，而由仲介業者聘用的宿舍管理員所執行，罰款為新台幣100元以上。有一個發生在南崁Asustek的案例：有一個移工沒帶著外國人居留證（ARC）外出，管理員便強制遣返他回國。以任意理由威脅將移工遣返是雇主和仲介最有力的武器。

雇主們利用移工的經濟困境，並以勞基法為殺手劍威脅隨時遣返。在很多不足額給薪的案例中，移工們被要求遵守一定條件才可拿到全額薪資。這些條件包括：全勤、工作品質良好等等。通常加班費是以較低薪資標準計算，或甚至完全沒有被給付。甚至有些案例是，薪資被延遲或不正常發放。

總之，移工被私人仲介和菲國政府所榨取的高額費用，及仲介公司對移工所有的高度控制權是移工們最頭痛的問題。實質上，仲介業的存在使菲國政符蒙利。這些仲介業者們幫助了菲國公民找到了工作，這些出國工作的人所繳交的費用充實了菲國國庫，所匯進的款項支撐了菲國的經濟。對於菲律賓政府言，將移住勞工的痛苦怪罪於台灣仲介、菲國仲介、雇主、甚至台灣的勞委會，是最便利的方法。這些狀況在明年將會達到最高峰，因明年菲國政府的勞動力輸出政策將完全地去管制化。也就是說，對於菲國移工所遭受的任何不幸或痛苦，菲律賓政府將完全不用負擔任何責任。

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訊息櫥窗 Information

內政部於八月十二日公佈在台移工人數至去年底共廿六萬四千七百五十九人：
According to the statistics issued by the Ministry of Interior Affairs on Aug. 12, as of Dec. 31 last year, the number of migrants in Taiwan is 264,759.

泰國	Thailand	127,862	48.29%
菲律賓	Philippines	108,919	41.14%
印尼	Indonesia	27,709	10.47%
其他	Others	269	0.1%
總數	Total	264,759	100%

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每月一句 One phrase a month

中文(Chinese)：我希望能認識本地勞工朋友

Pronounced in mandarin： wo ci wang ng ren chi ben di lao gung pen io.

英文(English)：I want to meet local workers.

菲律賓文(Tagalog)：Gasto kong makipagkaibigan sa mga lokal na manggagawa.

泰文(Thai)： (Chan Yak Ja Ru Ja Pern Kuen Dai wan.)

印尼文(Indonesian)：Sayo berharap bisa berlanalan dan berteman dengan buruh lokal.

馬來文(Malay)：Saya harap berkenal dengan seorang perkerja yang berbansa cina

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Reader's Letter >> My Opinions about the Migrant Workers

Thinking of joining the union’s education courses a few days ago, I was really surprised when I learnt that the misunderstanding, prejudice and ignorance of local workers towards the migrant workers is so serious!

At first, facing the KMT's policy of importing migrant workers, as a local worker, my instinct reaction is like this: Of course, at the very beginning, we insisted on objecting to the import of migrant workers. Why? Because, as we all know, the main purpose of importing migrant workers is to benefit the capitalists by reducing the cost of labor. And at the same time, the most direct effect of it is squeezing and lowering the working conditions of local workers. During these years, since the migrant workers have been imported, I think, most of our working class friends have felt and strongly experienced something, such as the rising unemployment rate and the continuously reduced salary. And because of all these situations, the local workers intuitively blame on the migrant workers and have some misunderstanding and prejudice against migrant workers. I think those workers with class consciousness and friends with global perspectives would not like to see this kind of things happening.

We workers and friends involved in transforming the unequal society, under the circumstances in which the power of the capitalist bloc is overwhelming, can only face the reality of the pouring import of migrant workers. For the capitalists, to reduce the cost and maximize the benefits is their ultimate purpose. So we should not expect the KMT authorities to act on their own initiative to reduce the import of migrant workers. On the contrary, I think they will increase the quota, because the capitalists have tasted the fruits. (Look, hasn’t Wang Ung-Ching tried to propose the migrant-only-EPZ?) So, after acknowledging the reality, we call for all our working class friends attention, our enemy should be those who import the migrant workers, the capitalists, not the migrant workers! We should open our arms to embrace and accept them, because they are local workers' brothers and sisters, the same exploited class as us. They came to such a strange country so far away from their hometowns so they are more exploited and oppressed than us. So, I think, while the local workers are struggling for our own rights, we should not forget to invite them to join us. Furthermore, we can even help them fight for their rights. In this way, when they have their working conditions improved, it also helps protect and improve the local workers' working conditions, right?!

NOTE: Actually, those so-called 'bad habits' of migrant workers mentioned in the labor education courses, the local workers may also have, haven't we? If you don’t believe me, open the local newspapers, I think the reports about our local workers’ “bad habits” might be even worse.

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讀者投書》我看移住勞工

/涼松（桃園縣本地勞工）

回想起幾天前參加一場由工會所辦的勞工教育，獲知本地勞工對於‘外勞’的誤 解、偏見、無知等意見到那麼嚴重的地步，真是令我大吃一驚！

首先對於國民黨的移住勞工政策，就以一個本勞的立場來說，我的直覺反應是如 下的：當然在一開始，我們是堅決反對引進移住勞工的，為什麼呢？因為我們曉得，移住勞工的引進，主要原因是圖利於資本家的勞務成本之降低，而在此同時，最直接的影響便是擠壓及拉低比地勞工的勞動條件。這幾年來，自從移住勞工引進至今，我想很多勞工朋友們已經感覺得出來，並且深刻體驗到了一些事情。例如，失業率的提高、待遇的不斷降低....等。也因為這些因素，而使得本地勞工直覺地把這些事情，去怪罪在移住勞工身上，進而對移住勞工產生了種種誤解以及偏見！我想這是一些有勞工意識且有國際觀的朋友們所不樂於見到的。

台灣的勞工朋友以及致力於改造社會不平等的朋友們，在目前和資本家集團的力量對比如此懸殊的情形下，我們也只有暫時面對移住勞工源源引進台灣的事實了。且以資本家們的本性來講，如何降低成本而極大化其利益是不變的目的。故，我們不能再奢望國民黨當局會如何主動地減少移住勞工的引進，反之，我想他們可能會再增加更多的名額，因為資本家已經嚐到了引進移住勞工的甜頭了（王永慶不是已經提出全部‘外勞’的加工特區嗎？）。所以，認清這樣的環境現實以後，我們呼籲台灣的勞工朋友們，我們所敵視的對象，應是引進移住勞工的原兇-----資本家！而不是移住勞工朋友們。我們應展開雙臂擁抱與接納他們，因為他們是本勞的兄弟姊妹，與我們同樣處於被剝削的階層，且因為他們的遠離家園，來到這樣一個陌生的國度，他們所受到的壓榨與迫害，更甚於我們。故，我想，本地勞工朋友在爭取本身權益時，應不忘聯合他們共同奮鬥，甚至於主動幫助他們爭取較高的權益。這樣一來，他們的勞動條件提高以後，也同時等於保障、提高我們的勞動條件，您說是嗎？

後記：其實大家在勞教中所提到的所謂移住勞工種種的「壞習慣」，若換成台灣本地人民後，其實也沒有什麼差別，不然，大家每天翻開我們報紙中的社會新聞看看，我想是有過之而無不及吧！

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News about Labor Overseas

South African Workers March for Jobs

5 August, 1999

Thousands of trade unionists marched through the streets of major South African cities Saturday to protest against spiraling job losses in industry, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) said.

COSATU claimed up to 8,000 people marched in the town of Middleburg in Mpumalanga province, media reports put the figure in the hundreds. Hundreds marched in Johannesburg and Cape Town, while a march through the capital Pretoria was cancelled early Saturday when less than a dozen people turned up, SABC public radio reported. COSATU's Gauteng province secretary Norman Mokoena said the nationwide protests were called to highlight the high number of job losses in the country.

“COSATU has declared a crisis in the economy,”he told the South African Press Association. Mokoena said about 30 percent of the country's workforce were employed on contracts or as casual workers, while the 70 percent employed on a permanent basis did not receive the prescribed salaries and were under-paid.

Meanwhile, over 300, 000 public servants who embarked on a two-day strike last week in support of a 10-percent pay hike return to work as normal on Monday, while labour leaders review the action, COSATU said.

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國外勞工本月相關消息

南非工人為工作而遊行

1999/8/5

南非產業工會代表大會(COSATU)聲明，星期六有數以千計的產業工會成員在南非城市的街道上遊行，以抗議工業部門逐漸上升的失業問題。

南非產業工會代表大會(COSATU)聲稱，在馬瀑馬拉尬省（Mpumalanga）彌德堡（ Middleburg）的市鎮上，有多達8千人參加遊行。但媒體報導僅約有數百人。南非 公立電台（SABC）報導，當在首都維多利亞（Pretoria）僅有不到12人出現，使得遊行在星期六一早便被取消時，而在約翰尼斯堡（Johannesburg）及卡布鎮（Cape Town）則有數百人遊行。南非產業工會代表大會(COSATU)高單省（Gauteng provinc）秘書諾曼‧謨可納（Norman Mokoena）說，這個全國性的抗議，是為了凸顯本國高失業率的問題。

他向南非記者聯誼會說到，“南非產業工會代表大會已宣告了經濟上的危機”。謨可納（Mokoena）說大約30％的本國勞動力是契約工或是臨時性勞工；其他70 ％的長久性雇員並未得到應有的薪資且是不足額給薪。

同時，南非產業工會代表大會(COSATU)指出，超過30萬的公務員，在上星期舉行了一個兩天的罷工，直到星期一才恢復正常工作，他們是為了聲援10％調薪。

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Editors’ Note

Some of our friends were asking,“Why is your newsletter named ‘Mars News’in Chinese?”

You know, it is sad to say, actually!

Why? It was because migrant workers are often called alien in English. And it is some kind of prejudice, meaning something like monsters.

So while the editorial members discussed about the title of the newsletter, it came to our mind suddenly that people said most of the aliens were from Mars, right? So let's just name it the〈Mars News〉in Chinese.

On the other hand, the planet like Mars, though is small, yet important.

As for a newsletter, the meaning is not bad.

So, now you know the whole story of the〈Mars News〉.

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編者的話

有朋友在問：“為什麼你們刊物中文叫〈火星報〉啊？”

唉！說來也是傷心！

為什麼呢？因為啊，移住勞工們常以英文被叫做外星人（alien），其實有歧視他 們是怪物的意思。所以呢，編輯群在討論刊物名稱時，揶揄之際，靈機一動，想到，好像很多外星人都被說成從火星來的。就叫它火星報好了。

況且，火星可以一個不起眼的小星星，卻具一定的重要性。

對於一份刊物來說，意思也蠻好的嘛！

所以，現在你知道我們為什麼叫〈火星報〉了吧？！

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