A proposal by Vice Premier Shih Jun-ji (施俊吉) to raise the minimum monthly wage to NT$30,000 by 2024 by 6 percent annual increments is a “mathematical” but impractical approach, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said on Monday during a television interview.
Shih on Tuesday last week said that the goal of raising the minimum monthly wage to NT$30,000 could be achieved in four to six years if the amount is increased by between 6 and 8 percent every year.
Asked if she would pledge to raise the minimum salary to NT$30,000 by 2024, Tsai said the government could not impose such a goal on economic development.
“If the economic conditions are good, if businesses are able to afford raising pay, I believe the salaries will continue to go up even without making changes to the minimum wage,” Tsai said.
Tsai’s administration has twice raised the minimum wage, from NT$20,008 to NT$22,000, which is a large increase compared with previous adjustments, she said.
Meanwhile, Premier William Lai (賴清德) yesterday reiterated his plan to boost investment to address the problem of low, stagnant salaries.
“The most effective means to solve the issue is to encourage investment in Taiwan,” Lai said during a visit to Miaoli County.
The Cabinet has put forward three proposals — raising the salary of public-sector employees by 3 percent in the hope of initiating across-the-board pay increases; implementing tax cuts to increase personal disposable income; and remove investment obstacles, such as industrial shortages, Lai said.
The “five plus two” industrial innovation plan and the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program aim to upgrade and transform local industries, and develop a comprehensive infrastructure network that would also help invigorate the economy and raise salaries, Lai said.
During the television interview, Tsai said that the Cabinet proposed a 3 percent salary increase for public-sector workers in the hope that it would encourage private firms to give their employees pay raises.
All employers she has met have told her they have made plans to increase their employees’ salaries this year, the president said, adding that a number of surveys indicate that about 50 percent of firms are likely to give their employees a raise this year.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus deputy secretary-general William Tseng (曾銘宗) yesterday cast doubt over Tsai’s remark that more than half of firms are expected to give their employees pay raises this year.
If all businesses were to give their employees raises just to make the president look good, “Taiwan would be doomed,” Tseng said.
Fifty percent should be considered a “very pessimistic” forecast, he added, citing his stint as Financial Supervisory Commission chairman, during which time between 60 and 70 percent of businesses gave their employees pay raises each year.
Meanwhile, KMT Legislator Ma Wen-chun (馬文君) said that if the government were to initiate a third drive to amend the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法) it would probably incur the wrath of the public.
The government has no plans to further amend the act because it is unwilling to own up to its mistake of pushing through the latest amendments this month, which have sparked complaints, especially among young people, Ma said.
The government should figure out what young people really want, she said, adding that low wages have remained the main source of complaints.
Additional reporting by Sean Lin
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
RSS