The Ministry of Economic Affairs said its efforts to bring back Taiwanese businesses produced a value of NT$400 billion in the first half of the year and increased job opportunities. The Ministry of Labor is therefore set to relax labor restrictions and allow 3K industries to hire more migrant workers. On July 12, the Taiwan Labour Front hosted a seminar, saying it hopes the government can show more consideration for the employment conditions of grassroots laborers.


Many Taiwanese businesses have made changes to their manufacturing bases in response to the U.S.-China trade war. The government is actively encouraging these businesses to return to Taiwan with subsidies. The Ministry of Economic Affairs says its efforts have resulted in over NT$440 billion in investment during the first half of the year. It estimates this investment can create 30,000 jobs. On July 12, the Taiwan Labour Front organized a seminar. It invited the Ministry of Labor, civic groups, and scholars to discuss the challenges of bringing Taiwanese businesses back to Taiwan.

The quotas under our original 3K5 five-ratio system for foreign workers in the manufacturing industry are perhaps too low at this present time. This is why we will raise them to address the issue of the labor shortage. We of course hope that the returning investment will be in the high-tech sector.

The Ministry of Labor is set to relax restrictions on the manufacturing industry's 3K5 five-ratio system to allow returning Taiwan businesses to hire more migrant workers and ensure they won't face labor shortages. The public is happy to see returning investment setting a new record, but labor groups say more than the numbers have to be considered. What should also be taken into account is whether this can improve the employment conditions of Taiwan's laborers.

Will this type of investment result in a real creation of jobs? What kind of jobs is it creating? Are they stable jobs or unstable jobs?

The Taiwan Labour Front added it is against short-term incentives only attracting short-term investment, but it is happy to see the returning investment. The majority is in the relatively stable manufacturing industry, and it is hoped it can bring about the transformation of the industry.



因應中美大戰衝擊，台商紛紛轉移生產布局，政府也積極推出台商回流方案補助，經濟部表示上半年已經有超過4400億回台投資，預估可以創造3萬多個就業機會。台灣勞工陣線舉辦研討會，邀請勞動部、與民間學界來探討台商回流面臨的挑戰。

勞動部次長 劉士豪表示：「這個時候我們原來3K五級，它的外勞配額是比較少的，這個時候我們就會加高它一個配額的產級，來因應人力不足的部分，當然我們還是最希望，回流部分來講，投資高科技產業。」

因應台商回流可能面臨缺工，勞動部對3k5級製造業將再放寬外勞增聘配額。外界樂見回流投資額創新高，但勞工團體也憂心，不能只看投資數字，應該檢視台商回流是否真能提升台灣勞工的就業條件？

台灣勞工陣線祕書長 孫友聯表示：「這樣的一個投資有沒有實質上去創造就業？而它創造的是什麼樣的就業？是穩定的就業？還是不穩定的就業？」

孫友聯表示不樂見因為短暫誘因，吸引的只是短期金融投資炒作，不過也樂見這波回流，相對穩定的製造業占多數，盼刺激整體產業轉型。