Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers yesterday said discrepancies between the new labor pension system and the old labor pension system have undermined workers’ rights and benefits under the old system, calling for reforms while ensuring protections for both employers and employees.
DPP Legislator Lai Jui-lung (賴瑞隆) said that more than 20 years after the introduction of the new labor pension system, a significant number of workers remain under the old system, highlighting a structural disconnect.
Citing Ministry of Labor statistics, Lai said that as of December last year, 115,237 workers were still enrolled in the old system. Many of these workers have either not opted to transition or are legally unable to do so, and now face situations in which they are eligible for retirement, but cannot settle their pension accounts with their employers.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
Lai proposed amending the old system to allow, with the consent of employers and employees, workers to settle accounts and transfer pension funds from employer-held accounts into individual accounts under the new system.
DPP Legislator Kuo Kuo-wen (郭國文) said the proposal would help safeguard workers under the old system, many of whom are employed by state-run enterprises.
DPP Legislator Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱) said workers who chose to remain under the old system should be allowed, through mutual agreement, to transition to the new system. He added that allowing voluntary contribution rates under the new system would benefit retirees.
Chung said such reforms would increase contributions to the Labor Fund, improve its stability and enhance its investment flexibility and returns.
DPP Legislator Hsu Chih-chieh (許智傑) said that enabling workers to transition between systems, without undermining the rights of either party, reflects the government’s responsibility to ensure adequate retirement.
DPP Legislator Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲) expressed support for the proposal, saying that under appropriate conditions, it would help ensure workers are properly cared for in retirement.
DPP Legislator Lee Kun-tse (李昆澤) said the shortcomings of the current system are not the workers’ fault, and that the government must take responsibility for policies that have failed to keep pace with changing labor conditions.
Lee added that reforms should ensure no workers are left behind during the transition, and that pension protections should not be applied selectively.
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