The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and People First Party (PFP) will seek to annul a plan adopted by the Examination Yuan to reform the retirement benefits scheme for government employees, which would in effect reduce their pension income, a PFP lawmaker said yesterday.
PFP Caucus Whip Hwang Yih-jiau (黃義交) said the plan, which was passed in the form of an executive order, will have to be forwarded to the Legislative Yuan "for reference."
The pan-blues will then press the legislature to pass a resolution asking the Examination Yuan to revoke the plan, on the grounds that any changes affecting the rights or obligations of the people should be made via amending existing laws or enacting new laws, instead of through the issuance of executive orders, Huang said.
If the Examination Yuan refuses to comply, the parties do not rule out the possibility of requesting a constitutional interpretation by the Council of Grand Justices on the issue, Huang said.
He revealed that after the plan is abolished, the parties will push through a law to pave the way for the launch of a national pension program to better take care of retirees in all sectors.
The Examination Yuan, the government branch in charge of the country's civil service system, on Thursday decided to rationalize the retirement income replacement ratios for government employees.
Currently, some retired civil servants have a higher income than when they were working, due partly to a preferential 18-percent interest rate on savings available to retired civil servants, military personnel and teachers.
According to the Examination Yuan's plan, for retirees who have worked for 25 years, the retirement income -- including monthly pensions, the preferential interest on savings and year-end bonus money -- will not be more than 85 percent of the pay they were receiving at the time of their retirement. The ratio will be no more than 95 percent for those who have worked for 35 years.
Civil servants, military personnel and teachers are traditionally known as supporters of the pan-blue camp.
The Examination Yuan's decision has come in the wake of a promise by President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) to reform the retirement benefits scheme enjoyed by civil servants, military personnel and teachers, especially the 18-percent interest rate, which is widely considered unreasonable.
Thousands of teachers will stage a hunger strike on Nov. 19 outside the Presidential Office against planned pension cuts, which they yesterday described as a government ploy to woo voters ahead of local elections next month.
Tina Pan (
Pan was referring to the DPP's claim that by abolishing the preferential 18 percent interest rate, the government will get the financial resources to hike the monthly allowance for elderly farmers from NT$4,000 to NT$5,000.
Meanwhile, DPP legislators Hsu Kuo-yung (
Hsu and Wang said although it is the government's responsibility to provide civil servants with basic benefits after their retirement, this does not mean retired civil servants should get more income than when they were working.
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