Taichung Metro recruitment salaries criticized as 'banana price'; will propose wage increase plan this year
Taichung Metro's recruitment for station staff and technicians drew criticism for low starting salaries, labeled as 'banana price' by netizens and lawmakers. In response, Chairman Yen Pang-chieh announced plans to submit a wage increase proposal this year for city government approval, emphasizing previous adjustments have already significantly reduced turnover rates.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 24, 2026 at 19:38
- 🔍 Collected: April 24, 2026 at 20:01 (23 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 24, 2026 at 21:02 (1h 0m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Chao Li-yen, Taichung, April 24) Taichung Metro's recruitment announcement in April for station staff and technicians with starting salaries of NT$35,000 and NT$36,000 respectively, drew criticism from netizens who called it 'banana price,' and lawmakers who slammed it as completely out of touch with the market. Taichung Metro Chairman Yen Pang-chieh stated that a wage increase plan will be proposed again this year for city government approval.
The Taichung Metro Corporation's new employee recruitment examination began registration on April 17, with plans to officially hire 32 people and list 96 as reserves, including operations personnel, electronic and electrical technicians, mechanical technicians, and management and marketing specialists.
During the city council's transportation and land administration query session today, Democratic Progressive Party Taichung City Councilor Chang Yu-yen stated that Taichung Metro's recruitment attracted netizens' criticism, such as 'technician salaries don't even start at 40,000,' 'those who study electrical engineering and IT come to do a 36,000 job,' and 'banana price.'
Chang Yu-yen mentioned that Taichung Metro's salaries are completely out of touch with the market, with technicians serving for 5 years only earning over NT$40,000. No wonder the first-year turnover rate for new employees is as high as 33.3%, with people leaving soon after joining. How can the city government expect companies to improve their treatment if it leads with low salaries and is unwilling to pay a reasonable price for professionalism?
Yen Pang-chieh responded that Taichung Metro's current compensation is slightly lower compared to the industry. Private companies have a very strong demand for technical personnel, and many new employees apply to several companies simultaneously, getting hired elsewhere soon after joining. Taichung Metro has adjusted salaries twice in recent years, and the turnover rate has significantly decreased after the 2024 salary adjustment.
The Taichung City Government added that this public recruitment has relaxed application conditions and is cultivating local talent through industry-academia cooperation programs. Employee welfare plans include setting up a childcare center to provide childcare services for employees' children, reducing their burden and enhancing cohesion. (Editor: Chen Ren-hua) 1150424
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(Central News Agency reporter Chao Li-yen, Taichung, April 24) Taichung Metro's recruitment announcement in April for station staff and technicians with starting salaries of NT$35,000 and NT$36,000 respectively, drew criticism from netizens who called it 'banana price,' and lawmakers who slammed it as completely out of touch with the market. Taichung Metro Chairman Yen Pang-chieh stated that a wage increase plan will be proposed again this year for city government approval.
The Taichung Metro Corporation's new employee recruitment examination began registration on April 17, with plans to officially hire 32 people and list 96 as reserves, including operations personnel, electronic and electrical technicians, mechanical technicians, and management and marketing specialists.
During the city council's transportation and land administration query session today, Democratic Progressive Party Taichung City Councilor Chang Yu-yen stated that Taichung Metro's recruitment attracted netizens' criticism, such as 'technician salaries don't even start at 40,000,' 'those who study electrical engineering and IT come to do a 36,000 job,' and 'banana price.'
Chang Yu-yen mentioned that Taichung Metro's salaries are completely out of touch with the market, with technicians serving for 5 years only earning over NT$40,000. No wonder the first-year turnover rate for new employees is as high as 33.3%, with people leaving soon after joining. How can the city government expect companies to improve their treatment if it leads with low salaries and is unwilling to pay a reasonable price for professionalism?
Yen Pang-chieh responded that Taichung Metro's current compensation is slightly lower compared to the industry. Private companies have a very strong demand for technical personnel, and many new employees apply to several companies simultaneously, getting hired elsewhere soon after joining. Taichung Metro has adjusted salaries twice in recent years, and the turnover rate has significantly decreased after the 2024 salary adjustment.
The Taichung City Government added that this public recruitment has relaxed application conditions and is cultivating local talent through industry-academia cooperation programs. Employee welfare plans include setting up a childcare center to provide childcare services for employees' children, reducing their burden and enhancing cohesion. (Editor: Chen Ren-hua) 1150424
Stand with the facts; every sponsorship you provide helps safeguard press freedom.
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Text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.