STAGNANT WAGES: The groups called on the government to raise the minimum monthly salary to NT$29,189 and the hourly rate to NT$186
Taipei Times
Date: May 25, 2018
By: Ann Maxon / Staff reporter
A coalition of youth groups yesterday protested outside the Executive Yuan in Taipei,
Members of youth groups yesterday throw red paper balls symbolizing “policy beef” at the entrance of Executive Yuan in Taipei during a protest calling on the government to take steps to improve workers’ salaries. Photo: CNA
demanding that the government do more to improve salaries.
The Executive Yuan last week unveiled a series of measures to increase wages and attributed the problem of low wages in part to the increasing number of university graduates and migrant workers in recent years.
A dozen students from the Taiwan Higher Education Union, the Alliance Against the Commercialization of Education and other groups “bowed” and “apologized” before the Executive Yuan building, holding instant noodles — which they said were one of the few things they could afford.
“The Executive Yuan said the nation’s average monthly salary would have been NT$59,852 if migrant workers’ salaries were not included. That made us realize we have also been lowering the average salary, because we make less than NT$30,000 a month. We are very sorry for that,” said Tamkang University student Hsieh Yi-hung (謝毅弘), an alliance member. [FULL STORY]
