The legislature’s Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee is discussing the possibility of raising Taiwan’s minimum wage and shortening the work week.
The committee invited Minister of Labor Chen Hsiung-wen to its latest session Wednesday to discuss issues including the minimum monthly wage.
Chen told the committee that Taiwan’s GDP is expected to grow by 3.78% this year. This growth will make raising the minimum wage feasible. However, he also said Taiwan’s Consumer Price Index has gone down from last year, and so the legislature will need to wait until the third quarter before it can determine how much of an adjustment to make.
Chen also told the legislators that the Ministry of Labor has proposed shortening working hours by mandating a 40-hour work week. However, Chen said that business owners have made other suggestions, and discussion is still ongoing.