The minimum wage is set to increase for the ninth consecutive year, as the Minimum Wage Deliberation Committee today convened for the first time since the Minimum Wage Act (最低工資法) came into effect on Jan. 1.
The only way to solve the labor shortage is to raise the minimum wage, said Taiwan Confederation of Trade Unions secretary-general Tai Kuo-jung (戴國榮), a member of the committee.
Tai proposed a hike of at least 4 percent so the public could share in the fruits of economic progress, especially marginalized communities.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
A rise in wages represents the government’s determination to improve the labor environment, which should take the consumer price index (CPI) into account, he said.
Labor advocates have proposed that the minimum monthly wage be increased to NT$28,844, a growth of 5 percent, and a formula be set to calculate the baseline of the adjustment.
Chinese National Federation of Industries executive director Sam Ho (何語) said he agreed with adjusting the minimum wage as global prices fluctuate.
Taiwan Federation of Industry representative Yu Yu-chih (余玉枝) said the economic environment is not promising in the coming year, and should be taken into account.
Chinese National Association of Industry and Commerce representative Chiu Yi-cheh (邱一徹) also said the latest report from the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research reflects pessimism over the economy in the second half of the year.
About 94.6 percent of employees expressed worry about an increase in commodity prices following a wage hike, which might transfer the financial burden to consumers, a poll by the job-hunting Web site yes123 showed.
Minister of Labor Ho Pei-shan (何佩珊) said that inflation has a huge impact on low-income families, who spend a large proportion of their income on basic living expenses.
The first priority of the committee is to ensure the underprivileged are taken care of, she said.
The Minimum Wage Act stipulates mechanisms to review the minimum wage annually and penalize employers who pay workers below the minimum pay stated in labor agreements.
The act requires the Ministry of Labor to establish a minimum wage review committee, which would convene every year in the third quarter to discuss whether the minimum wage should be adjusted.
Any adjustments should take changes in the CPI into account, the act says.
The committee comprises representatives from government, labor groups and employers, as well as experts.
Additional reporting by Shelley Shan
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