The key to the development of a democratic nation is social justice and fairness.
Once we go off the rails, the meaning of democracy would be lost.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators Hsu Hsin-ying (徐欣瑩) and Wu Tsung-hsien (吳宗憲) have proposed amendments to the Act Governing Civil Servants’ Retirement, Discharge and Pensions (公務人員退休資遣撫卹法) and the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法).
According to the amendments proposed by the KMT caucus, pensions received by retired civil servants would be adjusted to serving employees’ salaries and a phased-in reduction of the income replacement ratio would be halted.
The proposal came against a background of a rising consumer price index and the pressure brought by inflation. However, this is a universal problem that is also faced by all workers.
If government funds are again to be diverted to finance retirement fund payments for civil servants, labor rights would be compromised.
Would it be fair to their fellow workers?
The way that the pension received by retired civil servants is calculated is already relatively high. There have been cases where the income replacement ratio exceeded 100 percent, which is unreasonable.
The current pension system readjusts the amount retirees get to a reasonable level on an annual basis. If this were to be changed, social justice and fairness would no longer exist.
The KMT has been criticized for taking care of certain groups of people, despite the fact that it could compromise the national interest. We know that government workers are entitled to their rights, but it has gone too far, there should be appropriate adjustments.
If the KMT clings obstinately to this policy, it would be heavily criticized. Moreover, the public would be hostile to retired civil servants who could in return vent their anger at the KMT. If so, the KMT could not expect to have the civil servants’ support during elections.
Reforming the pension system is a matter of enormous importance. We have made huge efforts and used a lot of social resources to bring the system back onto the right track so that social justice and fairness can be upheld.
If the KMT goes off the rails, it would be criticized or even abandoned by the public. It would be the KMT itself that would be blamed.
Li Kuan-long is a university lecturer.
Translated by Fion Khan
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