Learning During a Crisis

Taiwan has witnessed both man-made and natural disasters in 1999. For the hard-working workers in Taiwan, the days are getting harder and harder. The month of September was particularly rough. In first week, a conflict broke out between migrant workers at the Sixth Naptha Cracker Plant in Mailiao, adding insult to injury to the migrant workers already working under harsh conditions. Then came the most devastating earthquake to hit Taiwan this century, sweeping away the hard-earned gains of workers throughout central Taiwan, and taking many lives as well.

We also watched as government officials were helpless to do anything to solve the plight of the people, even though their slogans of "help the victims" still echoed throughout the hills and towns. The "seriousness" of damage caused by the quake was made worse by incompetence and corruption! The "relief" given to residents was not the result of a vigilant media! And the "rebuilding" should not be on the backs of workers already bent with the weight of heavy mortgages. The workers should be given appropriate means to rebuild their houses and restart their lives!

After surviving the earthquake, victims are faced with an uncertain future. Hard-working and honest workers must be strong and alert! The careless treatment of workers exhibited in the hastily-constructed temporary housing is likely only the beginning, and we must continue to investigate. If we find something amiss in the way that victims are being treated by the government, we should persist in our efforts to improve it. We should learn in the midst of this crisis how the government is unable to maintain "harmony" between workers and capitalists, leaving only the workers to fend for themselves. Workers must learn to analyze the problems that emerge in order to protect workers' rights in the midst of the crisis.