Taipei: Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. (THSRC), the sole high-speed railway operator in Taiwan, announced on Wednesday that it will issue year-end bonuses equivalent to 3.4 months of salary. The year-end bonuses will be paid to its employees on Feb. 6 before the nine-day Lunar New Year holiday starts on Feb. 14.

According to Focus Taiwan, employers in Taiwan typically issue year-end bonuses ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday to express gratitude for employee contributions over the year. This year's bonuses exceed the 3.27 times monthly salary THSRC distributed last year. On Jan. 2, THSRC provided a special bonus of NT$12,000 (US$397), approximately 0.2 months of salary, to employees.

Additionally, THSRC plans to issue bonuses equivalent to 3.40 months of salary on average on June 30, based on individual performance. This will increase total annual bonuses to seven months of salary, compared to more than 6.5 months last year. The total annual bonuses are part of a bonus insurance mechanism initiated last year after company-union negotiations, which received board approval.

In an internal letter, THSRC Chairman Shih Che highlighted the importance of 2026 as a significant year marking the company's 20th anniversary. He emphasized that safety remains the top priority, urging employees to remain committed to the company's discipline and mission. The chairman's reminder follows several negligence-related incidents reported last year, such as malfunctioning signals and train door issues.