GREEN LIGHT? The Legislative Yuan has avoided negotiations over the proposed salary hike reportedly out of concern that the KMT caucus would boycott them

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 03, 2017
By: Lee Hsin-fang  /  Staff reporter

The Executive Yuan yesterday called on the Legislative Yuan to swiftly approve a budget plan for a 3 percent pay raise for government employees, public-school teachers and military personnel, adding that delays in passing the proposal would affect about 1 million people.

The Cabinet in September announced that public-sector employees and those working in state-run businesses are to receive a pay raise next year after a freeze of more than six years, adding that it hopes the plan would stimulate a similar move in the private sector to boost the economy.

Senior Executive Yuan officials, who declined to be named, yesterday called on the legislature to swiftly pass the third reading of the proposal so that the executive branch can implement the salary increase on Jan. 1 as scheduled.

Despite the legislative session’s close being scheduled for the end of this month, the legislature has avoided scheduling negotiations over the proposed salary hike, reportedly out of concern that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus would boycott the negotiations.    [FULL  STORY]