Worker’s Struggle

Autumn Struggle Co-Opted Again by the KMT in 2021

Brian Hioe
The annual Autumn Struggle labor protest has historically been one of the two major annual labor protests in Taiwan. The other major labor protest is usually International Workers’ Day, also known as May Day. The two labor protests are spaced roughly half a year apart, with International Workers’ Day taking place in the springtime and Autumn Struggle taking place in the fall or winter...
December 2021EnglishPolitics6 min read

Annual Labor Demonstration Protests American Pork, with Controversy Regarding KMT Co-Optation Claims

Brian Hioe
The annual Autumn Struggle labor demonstration was held yesterday in Taipei. Autumn Struggle is traditionally one of the major labor demonstrations in Taiwan, along with International Workers’ Day on May 1st. Despite the name, it is not unusual for Autumn Struggle to take place during what is actually winter. However, this year’s demonstration saw significant controversy due to the perceived co-optation of the event by the KMT...
EnglishLaborNovember 2020Social Movements9 min read

Why Did Demonstrations Against Labor Law Changes Not Become Another Sunflower Movement?

Brian Hioe
Looking back on recent demonstrations against the Tsai administration’s planned changes to the Labor Standards Act, it may do well to review some of the reasons as to why protests did not spark anything on the scale of the Sunflower Movement, and why these demonstrations were, in that way, ultimately unsuccessful. Namely, these demonstrations in many ways replicated the dynamics of the Sunflower Movement, just less successfully. Perhaps this ultimately returns to structural shifts in Taiwanese society since 2014...
EnglishJanuary 2018LaborSocial Movements10 min read

Aesthetics And Politics In Demonstrations Against Labor Law Changes

Brian Hioe
Although it may have failed in preventing the changes from passing in the end, demonstrations against the Tsai administration's changes to the Labor Standards Act developed a unique visual language. Namely, in the past few years, a sign of the “maturity” of any social movement in Taiwan is that movement developing a unique visual language of its own. We might examine the characteristics of protest art during demonstrations against the Labor Standards Act, then...
#20EnglishJanuary 2018LaborSocial Movements10 min read

A Coming Storm After The Passage Of Labor Law Changes?

Brian Hioe
With the passage of the Tsai administration’s planned changes to the Labor Standards Act this morning, it seems that organized labor, Taiwanese youth activists, and Third Force parties have suffered a defeat. But this may return to the present challenge of Taiwanese politics—to break with the DPP in a manner which advances the progressive politics which the DPP no longer is the standard bearer of...
#20EnglishJanuary 2018LaborSocial Movements15 min read

As Protests Continue, Why Is The DPP So Intent On Passing Labor Law Changes, Anyway?

Brian Hioe
The camp-out against the Tsai administration’s planned changes to the Labor Standards Act continues into its second day, with it being anticipated that the changes will see their third reading today within the Legislative Yuan. At this juncture, it may be useful to examine why exactly the DPP is so intent on passing through changes to the Labor Standards Act...
#20EnglishJanuary 2018LaborSocial Movements13 min read

Camp-Out Against Labor Law Begins, Attempts Made To Storm City Streets

Brian Hioe
Protests against the Tsai administration’s planned changes to the Labor Standards Act continues. Today saw the start of a weeklong camp-out outside the Legislative Yuan in order to demonstrate the planned changes, as well as a dramatic action by students intended to escalate events, with attempts to block Zhongshan South Road, Beiping North Road, Civic Boulevard, and other roads. However, the day also began with the dismantling of the New Power Party’s occupation against the planned changes by police in the early morning hours...
#20EnglishJanuary 2018LaborSocial Movements8 min read