The Migrant Labour Regime and Labour Market Intermediaries in the Taiwanese Semiconductor Industry

Keywords: Keywords: Global Production Networks, local labour market, labour market intermediaries, migrant labour regime
Abstract Type: Virtual Paper Abstract

Abstract

This paper aims at developing a conceptual framework of the migrant labour regime (MLR) to better understand the agency of migrants in the semiconductor industry and illustrates this by the example of Filipino migrant workers in the Taiwanese semiconductor industry. Based on semi-structured interviews with key persons in the semiconductor industry, the study demonstrates the different roles of actors and connections within the GPN. With regard to the theoretical contribution, this paper develops a conceptual framework of the MLR and addresses three central actors in multi-scalar networks, i.e., state, firms, and LMI. The framework proposed in this paper offers more analytical clarity to the primary empirical contribution. Therefore, the paper identifies three key factors of dynamics in GPNs. Firstly, it emphasises the importance of the state and firms in shaping the MLR. Regulatory institutions at the national level hinder upward mobility of migrant workers and long-term employment relationships because working contracts do not allow employees to change job tasks or employers freely. Secondly, the coordination between contract manufacturers and lead firms in the GPN leads to a transformation of the workplace, e.g., intensification and increased flexibility. Thirdly, LMIs play a role in facilitating and mediating migrant labour in the transnational labour market.