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.