British Council teachers in Taiwan are preparing to take a vote on strike action. At issue is the teachers’ claim that the British Council Taiwan has failed to raise wages for 20 years, despite an inflation rate of 25% in the same period. If, as expected, the strike vote is successful it will be the first ever teachers strike in Taiwan.
The strike vote comes after five rounds of negotiations between British Council Taiwan and the Taiwan Higher Education Union as well as official mediation by the Taiwanese Department of Labor.
If a majority of union members vote in favor and the employer still refuses to offer a more reasonable pay increase proposal, the strike is expected to begin as early as the end of June.
Prior to the strike vote, BC teachers held a rally in the plaza of the teaching center where they usually conduct classes, with teachers and supporters raising their voices in solidarity:
“20 Years, No Fair Pay – British Council, Hear Our Say!”
“Two Decades of Dedication, Still No Fair Compensation!”
“British Council, Do What’s Right – Fair Pay for Our Fight!”
The National Federation of Teachers Unions representing more than 80,000 teachers in elementary and junior high schools in Taiwan also came out to show their support:
“It is clear that the BC Taiwan hasn’t valued teachers’ work for 20 years, the time of teachers’ contribution to English learning development in Taiwan. This is not just a cultural Council. This is a profitable business. This is an international education corporation. 20 years of teachers’ silence doesn’t mean that the British Council is right. Now it’s the time to fight back.”
The BC teachers and their union hopes that students and parents, upon understanding the situation, will express their support for the teachers’ fight for a reasonable pay increase to the British Council.
The TEFL Workers’ Union extends our fullest support and solidarity to the BC teachers in Taiwan. While British Council managers are some of the highest paid charity bosses in the world, the British Council has demonstrated time and again – In the UK, in Taiwan, in Spain, in Japan, in France, and in countless other locations – that it is willing to sacrifice the financial wellbeing of its staff to prop up its profit margins. No more. The teachers in Taiwan have shown that organised workers can fight back and demand better. In that fight, they will have our unwavering support.
Teach English online for the British Council here in the UK? The TEFL Workers’ Union has got your back! We’ve got a growing membership at BC EOL and we’ve already done lots to support our members there. Don’t hesitate to drop us a line at [email protected] to hear how you can get involved in helping us to hold the BC to account!