TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday (June 6) called for an increase in the country’s minimum wage for the coming year and every year in the future.

Tsai made the appeal while speaking at a general assembly meeting of the Taiwan Confederation of Trade Unions, CNA reported. She said that the government actually has a plan in place to increase the minimum wage every year.

Taiwan Labour Front Secretary-General Son Yu-liam (孫友聯) said during an interview with CNA on Tuesday (June 7) that Tsai’s stance on the minimum wage is the right attitude.

There was a period of time in the past when the country’s minimum wage was unchanged for seven years in a row, causing long-term wage stagnation for workers in the country’s private sector, he said. The president’s public announcement is welcomed as it makes wage increases in the future more likely, he added.

According to Son, the minimum wage has been raised six years in a row since Tsai took office, which has, in effect, proven wrong claims by the previous government that an increased minimum wage would hurt the economy. For many workers, an increase in the minimum wage is the only chance they have to get a pay raise, he added.

Son said that the minimum wage only increased by 1% last year due to the COVID-19 outbreak the year before, but it increased by 5.2% this year as the Taiwanese economy expanded about 8% year-on-year in 2021.

He expected the minimum wage to increase by more than 5.2% for next year, per CNA. Taiwan's minimum wage for 2022 is NT$25,250 (US$859).