EDITORIAL: Hard look at income growth neededThe Executive Yuan last week approved a Ministry of Labor proposal to raise the monthly minimum wage by 4.05 percent to NT$27,470, and the minimum hourly wage by NT$7 to NT$183. It is the eighth consecutive year that the minimum wage has been raised since President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) took office in 2016. Last week, Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) also demanded that the Ministry of Labor swiftly examine whether further revisions are necessary for an existing draft proposal for minimum wage legislation. Moreover, the latest wage increases affect only 2.39 million workers, accomplishing nothing for about 80 percent of the nation’s salaried workers who earn above the minimum wage. The solution to the low wage problem also demands closer and more effective dialogue among unions, social groups, enterprises, education institutions and government agencies.

Source: Taipei Times September 17, 2023 21:40 UTC