DPP caucus may support pay rise for civil servants

The DPP legislative caucus has backed off its proposal to delay the implementation of a NT$21 billion plan to give civil servants a 3 percent pay rise.

DPP caucus whip Hsu Tain-tsair (許添財) said legislators would not make any efforts to delay the pay hike before the proposal is reconsidered in a caucus meeting that will be held next Tuesday.

"There is still time to make a revision," Hsu said.

On Tuesday, the caucus decided that the pay hike should be put off for one year to help the nation through the "difficult time" of an economic slowdown.

The caucus' proposal -- which was widely considered to be in contradiction to the DPP's role as the ruling party -- immediately triggered criticism from all sides, including other DPP legislators.

While the proposed pay hike was a policy finalized by the Executive Yuan as early as July, the NT$21 billion budget item also passed a preliminary review in the legislature on Nov. 30 without any objection.