Will Military, Civil Servants, and Teachers Receive Annual Pay Raises? All Taiwan Teachers’ Union Reveals 10-Year Minimum Wage Growth: Pay Should No Longer Be a Political Favor

With the 2026 county and city mayoral elections approaching, the Executive Yuan approved the '2027 Military, Civil Servants, and Teachers Compensation Enhancement Plan' on July 2. The plan includes a 4% across-the-board salary increase, a fixed raise in two types of allowances, and retroactive effect from July. Combined, these measures will bring the starting salary for new civil servants (Category III national exam passers) close to NT$60,000.

On July 3, the Legislative Yuan's Judicial and Legal Committee held a public hearing on 'Legalizing Compensation Adjustments and Reforming Personnel Systems for Military, Civil Servants, and Teachers.' In a press release, the All Taiwan Teachers’ Union (ATTU) presented 10 years of economic data and urged the legislature to complete legalization of compensation adjustments during the current session, moving beyond 'political announcements' and toward institutional fairness.

How much will military, civil servants, and teachers receive in 2027? The adjustment includes a 4% across-the-board raise. For new Category III civil servants, starting salaries will rise to approximately NT$59,460.

The pay raise is implemented in two phases: 'first allowances, then general adjustment.' Phase one increases professional allowances (academic research allowances for teachers) and supervisory duty allowances by a fixed NT$2,000 per person, effective retroactively from July 1, 2026. This requires an additional budget of approximately NT$11.2 billion. Phase two, starting in 2027 (Minguo Year 116), implements a 4% across-the-board raise in compensation for military, civil servants, and teachers, costing about NT$38.3 billion, to be included in the central government’s 2027 budget. Approximately 720,000 people are expected to benefit. For non-supervisory staff, salary increases range from 5.88% to 9.98% depending on rank. Supervisory staff, benefiting from both the fixed allowance increase and the general raise, could see increases up to 11.56%. For example, the starting salary for new Category III civil servants will rise to about NT$59,460.

In its press release, ATTU cited its Vice President Chang Chiung-fang’s remarks at the hearing, emphasizing that compensation for military, civil servants, and teachers affects hundreds of thousands of individuals and their families. Decisions should not be made unilaterally by the executive branch without legal procedures or meaningful participation from frontline representatives. ATTU analyzed economic data from 2016 to 2026:

2016: Taiwan’s per capita GDP was about USD 23,000; monthly minimum wage was NT$20,008; hourly minimum wage was NT$120.

2026: Taiwan’s per capita GDP is projected at USD 42,000–44,000; monthly minimum wage is NT$29,500; hourly minimum wage is NT$196.

10-year growth: Per capita GDP increased by 81.89% to 90.55%; monthly wages by 47.44%; hourly wages by 63.33%.

ATTU further noted that military, civil servant, and teacher compensation increased by only about 14.74% over the same period—far below economic growth and minimum wage increases, and even below the consumer price index (CPI) increase of 17.84%. The cumulative rise in 17 key consumer goods prices reached 24.74%, indicating that real purchasing power has steadily eroded.

Regarding the education sector, ATTU emphasized that beyond the challenges of declining birth rates, teaching positions are becoming less attractive. As compensation competitiveness declines while responsibilities increase, talented individuals naturally leave the education field.

To address this, ATTU proposed five concrete demands:

- Establish an annual regular review mechanism - Define objective indicators and their functions - Guarantee substantive participation of employees - Implement transparency and decision-making accountability - Establish a dual-track review system for general pay raises and compensation structure

In addition to calling for legalization of pay adjustments, ATTU also advocated for a compensation structure review system. Teacher compensation includes not only base salary but also academic research allowances, homeroom teacher allowances, special education allowances, supervisory allowances, and hourly teaching fees. These should reflect individual expertise and risks and should not be frozen due to general pay adjustments. A reasonable linkage or protection mechanism between public school teachers, childcare staff, and private school educators should also be established.

In conclusion, ATTU urged both ruling and opposition parties to support completing the legalization of compensation adjustments during the current session, establishing a transparent, participatory review system: 'Let the government truly become a responsible employer!'

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