Civil Servants, Workers Rally in Taipei for Pension Hikes and Fair Pay – TaiwanPlus

Hundreds of frontline workers, firefighters and civil servants gathered in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei to demand systemic labor reforms. Demonstrators highlighted that over 70% of Taiwanese employees earn below the national average salary, a figure skewed significantly by the high-earning semiconductor and AI tech sectors. Protesters called for raising the mandatory labor pension contribution rate from 6% to 15%, instituting profit-sharing mechanisms so non-tech workers benefit from Taiwan's economic boom and enacting stricter workplace safety protections. In response, the labor ministry stated it would incentivize corporations to voluntarily increase pension contributions and employee training, but labor organizers warn that continued inaction could trigger a nationwide wave of strikes ahead of next month's elections.