TSMC Chairman and CEO C.C. Wei urgently convened a company-wide employee meeting on May 27 to quell grassroots doubts about shrinking bonuses. In response to online rumors that the company would slash May bonuses by more than 10%, Wei clarified that if employee performance reviews remain the same as last year, the full-year 2026 bonus payout is estimated to grow strongly by over 30%, with no cap on distributions. The move aims to soothe employee frustration over uneven rewards from the AI boom.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLmGAcNIq8U
The labor unrest began in mid-May after internal complaints surfaced on Dcard and Facebook. Employees posted screenshots showing that Q1 bonus amounts were nearly flat compared to the previous quarter, failing to reflect the company's 58% year-over-year surge in net profit. Rumors even spread that May bonuses would be cut by 10% to 20%. Coinciding with Samsung Electronics' semiconductor division reaching a historic agreement for per-employee bonuses of nearly $400,000, TSMC workers began discussing intensively about launching a "Samsung-style strike" or simply working strictly 9-to-5 as protest tactics. The complaints quickly escalated after being reported by outlets like TweakTown.
Wei explained that profit distribution must balance the interests of employees, shareholders, and social responsibilities such as ESG and green energy investments. Regarding employees' concerns about structural salary increases, management said there are currently no plans for that, but annual pay adjustments will favor junior staff, ensuring their raises outpace those of supervisors. Wei also publicly encouraged employees to invest their bonuses in company stock, promising that "buying TSMC stock guarantees a worry-free future" and allowing them to share in the company's long-term growth returns.
TSMC opened its bonus inquiry system on May 27, with bonus funds to be officially distributed on May 29. The company is currently building approximately 12 fabs globally to tackle advanced 2nm and 1.4nm processes, facing enormous capital expenditure pressure — a direct conflict with frontline shift workers demanding higher bonuses to share in AI profits.