Labor groups urge uniform penalties for minimum wage violations

Taipei, Sept. 16 (CNA) Labor groups on Wednesday called on the government to adopt uniform nationwide penalty standards for employers that violate minimum wage rules, arguing that wide disparities among local authorities weaken enforcement of the law.

At a news conference in Taipei, Taiwan Labour Front Secretary-General Yang Shu-wei (楊書瑋) said some local governments still rely on penalty guidelines drawn up under the Labor Standards Act rather than the Minimum Wage Act, while others have no specific standards for minimum wage violations.

Yang described the current system as effectively "23 systems in one country," referring to Taiwan's 22 local governments and the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA).

Thresholds for imposing the statutory maximum fine of NT$1 million range from six to 17 violations across jurisdictions, but rise to 50 or more in MOEA-administered industrial parks, which Yang called "absurd and shameful."

Yang warned that such disparities could undermine the effectiveness of minimum wage legislation and give noncompliant employers an unfair advantage over those that follow the law.

He called on the Ministry of Labor (MOL) to establish a nationwide standard under which employers found in violation five or more times would face the statutory maximum fine of NT$1 million, regardless of company size.

"Five violations are already a lot, which suggests the employer is deliberately breaking the law," he said.

According to MOL figures, labor authorities across Taiwan imposed penalties in 153 cases involving wages below the statutory minimum in 2025, with fines totaling NT$3.3 million. The six special municipalities accounted for 62.1 percent of the cases, while the support services sector accounted for the largest share by industry, at 33.33 percent.

Speaking to CNA after the news conference, Yang said the fines averaged only slightly more than NT$20,000 per case.

An employer could think, "If I get caught once, I'm fined NT$20,000. Will they come catch me a second time?" Yang said, arguing that such penalties weaken the deterrent effect of the Minimum Wage Act.

Responding later Wednesday, MOL said it was already moving toward a uniform nationwide approach to penalties for minimum wage violations.

The ministry said it recently proposed incorporating Minimum Wage Act violations into existing common principles governing fines for Labor Standards Act violations, and that "all local labor authorities have agreed to cooperate."

Once the amendment is completed, minimum wage violation cases nationwide "will be handled according to a uniform set of principles," MOL said, adding that it would complete the necessary legal procedures as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Yang said the monthly minimum wage, currently NT$29,500, should rise beyond NT$30,000 next year and move toward NT$32,000-NT$33,000, citing Taiwan's strong economic performance and continued price increases.

The Minimum Wage Deliberation Committee is scheduled to meet on Sept. 24 to discuss next year's minimum wage. Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) has said the monthly minimum wage is expected to exceed NT$30,000 in 2027.