Outside the Mainland: Trade Unions and Management in Three Overseas Chinese Societies

This chapter sets out to sketch a profile of trade unionism as it has evolved in three predominantly overseas Chinese societies in East Asia, located on the fringe of the Mainland, in what has sometimes been called ‘Greater China’ and sharing basic Chinese values (see Bond, 1986; Bond and Hwang, 1986; Shenkar and Ronen, 1987; Lockett, 1988; Whitley, 1990). They are namely, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan. Each of these three societies has captured the world’s attention as a case of successful industrialization within the regional league of the East Asian newly industrialized economies (NIEs) (see Redding, 1990). Their industrial experiences of organized labour provide an interesting comparison to what has been documented in the preceding chapters about the labour movement in the PRC, as canvassed from either a historical or a contemporary perspective.Such a comparative glimpse on trade unionism in these four societies(including the Mainland) is hoped to reveal some preliminary evidence onfirst, the propensity of Chinese trade unionism towards a ollaborative stance, vis-a-vis an adversarial one, in approaching management and employers in the workplace; and second, its aptitude, within the labour movement itself, for ‘unitary’ or alternatively ‘pluralistic’ unionism within a ‘corporatist’ contest.