More than 2,000 retired police officers and firefighters yesterday filed a class action lawsuit against the government after the Executive Yuan declined to earmark funds for a pension increase passed by the legislature.
The suit, to be reviewed by the Taipei High Administrative Court, names the Executive Yuan, the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Civil Service as defendants.
The agencies failed to allocate funding for a pension increase for retired police officers and firefighters in accordance with amendments passed by opposition lawmakers in January last year and signed into law by President William Lai (賴清德), the suit says.
Photo: CNA
Citing constitutional concerns over legislative measures that increase government spending, the Executive Yuan has refused to implement the pension increase and petitioned the Constitutional Court for a provisional injunction and constitutional interpretation. Both petitions remain pending.
The lawsuit demonstrates retirees' determination to oppose “unfair reforms” and their trust in justice and the rule of law, former National Fire Agency deputy director-general Hsieh Ching-hsu (謝景旭) told a news conference outside the court.
Ensuring that retired police officers and firefighters receive the benefits they deserve and enjoy a reasonable, stable and dignified retirement is a responsibility the Lai administration cannot shirk, Hsieh said.
Former police officer Keng Chi-wen (耿繼文), head of a coalition of retired police associations, cited the Executive Yuan's plan to draft a proposal to raise pensions for retired farmers, saying that the government was applying a "double standard" and urging it to allocate funds for the police and firefighter pension increase as required by law.
Taiwan People's Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌), who attended the event, criticized Lai for failing to implement the pension increase and said that the president was flouting the law.
The government has taken "good care" of civil servants, including retired police officers and firefighters, said Executive Yuan spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝), citing across-the-board pay raises totaling 14.7 percent from 2018 to last year.
However, the legislature exceeded its authority by formulating the pension increase, she said.
"We respect the right of members of the public to seek judicial remedies, but we must also stress that the legislature's role is to review the budget, not to draft it," Lee said.
If the Constitutional Court determines that the pension increase does not contravene the Constitution, the Executive Yuan would promptly make the necessary adjustments and issue retroactive payments to protect the rights and interests of affected personnel, she said.
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