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the taiwan authorities' "minimum wage review committee" decided yesterday (4th) that the minimum wage will be 28,590 yuan (new taiwan dollars, the same below) per month and 190 yuan per hour starting from 2025. this is the 9th consecutive year that the minimum wage in taiwan has been raised. however, many netizens complained about this matter, saying that prices and housing prices are going to rise again.

kmt legislator ko chien-en analyzed that even though the dpp authorities like to publicize the "multiple increases in the minimum wage" as their political achievements, most taiwanese workers still do not feel it. she also thinks it is strange that the secretary-general of the taiwan authorities' executive yuan, gong mingxin, also said that a project team would be set up to study and formulate a salary policy. however, gong served as a "political affairs committee member" and "chairman of the taiwan development council" during the administration of former taiwan leader tsai ing-wen, and followed three heads of the taiwan executive yuan. why didn't he reflect at the time? taiwanese workers have suffered from low wages for a long time, and now they have to formulate a salary policy, and even further discuss the definition of "low wages" before they can come up with corresponding countermeasures.

ko chien-en further pointed out that regardless of how the taiwan authorities determine how much a month is considered low-wage, will this move make workers feel more vulnerable? or will it make them feel more deprived? perhaps there are many reasons for low wages, and raising the minimum wage is not the only solution. at least we should first review the criticism that the minimum wage review process is just a matter of bidding, and whether the data collected is in line with the current situation. more importantly, if the taiwan authorities spend their publicity efforts and thoughts on how to accelerate industrial upgrading or transformation, they can improve the overall wages and employment environment.

the news of the minimum wage increase also sparked discussion among taiwanese netizens on online platforms, with many people lamenting: "for most people, it is basically a disguised pay cut, and prices are about to soar again", "i really don't understand what people who regard the annual adjustment of the minimum wage as a benevolent policy are thinking", "prices will rise when the salary increase is confirmed, and then rise again after the salary adjustment. the salary increase cannot keep up with the speed of price increases", "the monthly salary used to be 20,000 and the house price was 1 million. now the monthly salary is 30,000 and the house price is 20 million. i'm laughing."

some taiwanese netizens also said: "the health insurance will also increase. the money to spend is getting less and less, so pitiful." "even people who receive the minimum wage can't laugh, because the price increase is even greater." "salary increase = labor and health insurance increase = price increase = housing prices increase, a benevolent policy." "the minimum wage will increase by 1,000 yuan per month, and living expenses will increase by 3,000 to 4,000 yuan. i will be really angry." "great, housing prices are about to rise again, and it will be cool to 'speculate in real estate by order'." "if it increases a few more times, i will be equivalent to receiving the basic salary, haha."(lin jingxian, strait herald reporter in taiwan)