Taiwan Government to Propose Bill to Regularize Public Sector Pay Adjustments

(CNA, Taipei, May 17) The issue of institutionalizing pay adjustments for military personnel, civil servants, and teachers is gaining attention. KMT Legislator Weng Hsiao-ling has already proposed a 'Draft Act for the Adjustment of Remuneration for Military, Civil Service, and Teaching Personnel.' According to sources, the Executive Yuan's Directorate-General of Personnel Administration (DGPA) has also drafted its own version of the bill, which has completed its review by the Executive Yuan. It will subsequently be sent to the Legislative Yuan for deliberation after being discussed and passed in an Executive Yuan meeting. KMT Legislator Weng Hsiao-ling and others recently proposed their draft act, stipulating that the annual remuneration for public sector employees should be adjusted when the cumulative growth rate of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) reaches 3%, or be reviewed at least every four years. The adjustment rate would be determined by the Executive Yuan and the Examination Yuan, considering the national economic environment and other factors. The rate should not be less than half of the cumulative CPI growth rate, but no adjustment would be made if the growth rate is zero or negative. According to sources, to strengthen the pay adjustment mechanism for public sector employees, the DGPA has drafted its own version of the bill. It has completed the relevant assessments according to legislative procedures and submitted it to the Executive Yuan for review, which has been finalized. It is now waiting to be discussed and passed in an Executive Yuan meeting before being sent to the Legislative Yuan for deliberation. The DGPA stated that the key points of its draft bill include the definitions of public sector personnel and remuneration, conditions for annual across-the-board pay adjustments, considered factors, adjustment procedures, the composition of an advisory committee, committee member selection procedures, and personnel to whom this act applies and their remuneration. Representatives from civil service and teacher groups have also been included in the draft provisions. Regarding the direction of regularizing public sector pay, DGPA Director-General Su Chun-jung revealed during a legislative interpellation last October that after the legislation is passed, a 'Remuneration Advisory Committee for Military, Civil Service, and Teaching Personnel' will be established, with the proportion of grassroots representatives expected to reach 20%. (Editor: Lin Ke-lun) 1150517