On Tuesday, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) welcomed the national model workers of the year to the Presidential Office to express gratitude for their valued contributions to Taiwan.
This year, 61 workers from various fields including manufacturing, technology, transportation, and healthcare were recognized. Tsai especially highlighted the 10 model workers coming from the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and other countries. This year is also the first that model migrant workers’ families were invited to Taiwan to join the awards ceremony.
Tsai said the government has undertaken a number of initiatives to improve workers’ rights over the past eight years, including raising the minimum wage. Since 2016, the government has increased the minimum wage from NT$20,008 (US$613) to NT$27,470 (US$842) per month. The minimum hourly wage has been increased from NT$120 (US$4) to NT$183 (US$6) during the same period.
The government also strengthened the Minimum Wage Act and established a new law outlining standards for wage review and adjustment. In response to concerns about labor insurance, Tsai stated the government has allocated NT$267 billion (US$8 billion) since 2020 to ensure it continues operating steadily.