Labor Minister Chen Hsiung-Wen says that after a minimum wage hike in July, a special committee will convene in late summer to discuss the possibility of another hike. His comments came Monday in a legislative committee.
“The minimum wage is set to increase on July 1from NT$19,273 to NT$20,008," said Chen.
"Then in the third quarter, in late August or early September, the Basic Wage Deliberation Committee will hold a regular meeting in accordance with the regulations, and they will discuss the economy, the cost of living index, and they will look into whether the minimum wage should be increased [again].”
In terms of US dollars, the wage hike in July will increase the minimum monthly salary in Taiwan from US$627 to US$651. That’s an increase of US$24. Officials say that more than two million workers will benefit from the measure.
Chen said that Taiwan’s economic growth rate this year is likely to reach 3.2%. He said that from the perspective of labor rights, if a business makes money, it should share the profits with its workers.