Leader of business groups opposes raising minimum wage in Taiwan

Lin Por-fong, chairman of CNAIC, one of the top business alliances in Taiwan, made the call as Taiwan’s Minimum Wage Review Committee gets ready to convene later this month to decide whether the monthly minimum salary of NT$24,000 (US$867) and the hourly wage of NT$160 (US$5.78) should be raised next year. 

Chairman Lin said as many companies have suffered due to the pandemic, the government should provide special assistance to businesses instead. 

He said many of these businesses depend on domestic consumption and were adversely affected by the restrictions on travel and indoor dining, resulting in many shuttering or having poor business. 

The government should implement tax cuts for affected businesses and offer subsidies to be spent on training, salaries, and assistance to employees on unpaid leave, he said. 

The issue of raising the minimum wage should be set aside until the economy recovers when the pandemic subsides, he added.  

READ: Aid for businesses take precedent over minimum wage: Taiwan minister

Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua had earlier said there should be a raise, but not before special measures to help businesses dependent on domestic consumption have been put in place.  

The Minimum Wage Review Committee comprises representatives of employers, labour, and government as well as experts, according to Taiwan News.