PSPD in English Archive 2001-07-31   1636

A Critical and Historical Review of ICLE

 

Information Center for Labor Education

Lee Yi Kun

A Critical and Historical Review of Information Center for Labor Education Information Center for Labor Education (ICLE) is an organization devoted to social movement using scientific methodology as its practical base and education as its mean to serve the people.

Since its inception in 1988, ICLE has always examined and explored the existing conflicts and oppressions within our society in a practical manner. We understand the different characteristics and forms of oppression from the subjective standpoint of the oppressed, and turn this understanding into educational courses of empowerment. We would then in turn offer these courses to the oppressed through the various connections we established with the masses during this process of understanding. Through education, we hope that the masses would come to realize the social and collective nature of their sufferings as well as its structural components and therefore would transform the knowledge into action. We also participate in social movements along with the masses, learning how to take our organization skills into concrete actions against oppression. During this process, we also learn how to redesign these actions and turn them into a group education, thus furthering our understanding of the various forms and meanings of the existing oppression.

Pragmatism is our motto. Our philosophy of pragmatism on educational and organizational work is reflected on our response to the actual social conditions. Taiwanese society has underdone tremendous changes within the last 15 years. Organizational work which encounters both limitation and possibility under various social conditions has gone through many different phases. Since ICLE is situated within the structural conflicts in Taiwanese society, in some ways, its historical development also reflects the changes in social reality.

History of ICLE
Major Events in Social Movement

1986
ICLE has not yet been established. Hsinchu Glass Co. was taken over by a committee organized by its employees.

1987
ICLE co-founders Cheng Tsun Chi and Hsia Lin Ching led a group of students to conduct field studies on the labor conditions of small consigning factories. It was operated in the form of a study group. Lifting of martial law. The KMT government loosened the restrictions on forming unions. A wave of workers forming autonomous union.

1988
ICLE was established as a workshop. Some members had the chance to join autonomous unions as union workers and started learning organizational skills. Co-founder Cheng Tsun Chi, a reporter for China Times at the time, led workers for the newspaper to fight to form a union. ICLE members participated in labor movements to join in the protests and learn. China Times workers fought to form a union. Miaoli Transit Worker Strike. Protest against close down of Hsinkuan Textile factory. The March for Two Laws and One Case. (Labor law, union law and the case of Miaoli Transit Strike)

1989
A strike organized by the leading union in Taiwan, Province of China at the time, Far East Chemical Fiber Union, was violently cracked down by the government. The union organization crumbled and the union movement in Taiwan, Province of China suffered a three-year setback. ICLE members sent representatives to continue with their work on education and organization in different unions, and more members joined unions on grass root level. Shrouded in an atmosphere of defeat for union movements, ICLE members working in unions furthered their learning by participating in detailed organizational works. Besides helping newly-born unions to stand on their feet, ICLE also gained a concrete sense about the relationship between the oppressive elements and the structural components (such as systems of management and law etc.) that workers were subjected to through its deeper understanding of the working mass on the grass root level. Violent Crack Down on Far East Chemical Fiber Union Strike

1991
Chen Tsun Chi became the secretary of labour education center in Taipei Province, started to use public resources to advocate autonomous labour union education. Based on the composition of its membership and in response to the fact that female workers were in a weaker position at the workplace than male workers were in a weaker position at the workplace than male workers were, ICLE established the Solidarity Front of Women Workers, not only becoming a major autonomous force in the labor movement, but also representing more participation of female workers in the union, including important decision on union policies. ICLE began to expand its concern to labor issues. Some members were involved in areas such as foreign labors and occupational injuries. ICLE continued to have representatives in different unions and more members joined unions on grass root level.

1992
Due to it long-term cooperation with unions on the grass root level, ICLE had a comprehensive understanding of the criteria for union movement. During the struggle of Keelung Transit workers, ICLE became their major resource. ICLE helped Keelung Transit workers won the struggle. In terms of the meaning for workers movement, this struggle challenged the legitimacy of the Labor Dispute Law and destroyed the governments myth of the saying workers who doesnt break the law will be protected. The Keelung Transit Workers Strike lasted for two months. Virtually every union and union worker in Taiwan, Province of China joined in the strike. All autonomous union forces in Taiwan, Province of China organized the March of Three Law and One Case on November 12, 1992. The Solidarity Front of Women Workers was one of the key organizers. The Committee of Action for Labor Legislation was established after the march. Keelung Transit Workers Strike March of Three Law and One Case Damned the Law Abiding Workers (Labor Law, Union Law, Labor Dispute Law ( ) and the Case of Miaoli Transit Workers Strike)

1993
Labour Affair Committee put forward Labour Standards Laws amendment bill, which lowered the labours working standard. Workers had strong reaction toward the bill, while ICLE organized them to draft the workers version of amendment. The members of ICLE changed their role to lecturers making use of the amendment as a topic in labour education, advocating the standpoint of workers, enabling them to speak for their own position. ICLE had accumulated workers opinion in 300 public discussions and formulated the workers version of Labour Standards Laws amendment bill. Making use of the media, forcing the Labour Affair Committee to have public debate with the workers. Although the government officials were unable to response to the workers in the public debate, they refused to retreat. The workers were very disappointed, in the November 12 demonstration, around 5,000 workers threw eggs to the Labour Affair Committee building. Participation in the grass root organization of separate unions was elevated to the alliance between unions. ICLE formed an alliance between Containers Union and Teamsters Trade Union in the Keelung area. It also brought together similar organizations in the area and formed the National Federation of Containers and Teamsters Trade Unions. It was the first autonomous federation of trade unions. Some factions of labor movement withdrew from the Committee of Action for Labor Legislation. The Solidarity Front Women Workers and other union groups later organized the November 12 Autumn Struggle and named that day the Workers Struggle Festival. ( ) ICLE established the southern office of Solidarity Front of Women Workers.

Labour Affair Committee put forward Labour Stands Laws amendment bill which resulted in strong reaction from the labour movement organization. Workers legislation action committee put forward to the workers version of Labour Stands Law as counter amendment bill. The first public debate between government officials and workers in Taiwan, Province of China worker movement took place in Jin Tan. National Federation fo Containers and Teamsters Trade Union was established. November 12 was names Wokers Autumn Struggle Festival, in the demonstrations, the workers threw eggs to the Labour Affair Committee.

1994
One of the founders of ICLE Hsia Lin Ching was appointed as the Chief Executive of Career foundation, our concerns had extended to the education system. The foundation helped to organze Pink Collar Solidarity(PCS). Together with the southern office of Solidarity Fron of Women Workers, PCS launched action against Single person and prohibition of pregnancy requirements. The organization had extended from blue collar workers to white and pink collar workers. Workers had learned from the law on public health struggle: 1. Workers can have their own opinions towards existing law and they can put forward their own version. 2. The concerns of workers movement is not necessarily limit to workers issue, through open debate on issue like publc workers issue, through open debate on issue like public health and social insurance, the workers can see that different policies convey different class position. Workers version of Law on Public Health.

1995
The theme of Workers Autumn Struggle Festival politicized. Making use of the media concern on the election of president in the forth-coming year, ICLE invited all the candidates to attend their gathering. The meeting was named workers and presidents Rendezvous. The candidates were required to explain their policy on labour issue. The collective action is a political education of workers class-conscious; and it showed that workers were not the passive recipients of political slogan.

1996
The members of ICLE, having accumulated their practical experience in union organization, began to change their role as union advisors. They helped other labour unions to expand their organizations and through such process ICLE had expanded its network and alliance. Taiwan confederation of Trade Unions was established. Under the issue of closedown of factories, Workers Committee had established the solidarity Front of closed-down factory workers. Through organizing public action, the issue of unemployment compensation was discussed under the context of structural changes and conflicts. The two years struggle was a political education through the media reaching out to the public.

1997
President election Frequent rumors about the closing down of big factories. Asian Financial Crisis Incidents of Factory closedown continued to occur.

1998
The annual worker demonstration faced the pressure with regard to mobilization. Workers demand on policy changes was becoming conservative, the demand of the autumn struggle was related with the survival issue, such as unemployment insurance. The stand was more defensive. Chen Tsun Chi, a member of ICLE was as the Chef of the Taipei City Labour Bureau. We attempted to make use governmental power to protect and defend the power of worker collectives and workers rights as well as to make use of public resources to encourage the organization of workers and worker unions. Capital moved out from Taiwan, Province of China rapidly. The number of unemployment increased because of the countinuous closing down of factories. Worker Unions became more conservative.

1999
Setmeber 21 earthquake

1999-2001
ICLE started to develop the educational curriculum for general public/non-unionists people systematically. The curriculum showed the structural oppression existed omnipresently in different forms. In the second half year of 1999, ICLE started to organize the community university.
 

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