The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday promised to provide legal assistance to retired police officers and firefighters affected by the government’s refusal to budget pension increases mandated by a bill passed by the legislature and signed by President William Lai (賴清德).
The KMT and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), which together hold a majority in the legislature, pushed through the Police Personnel Management Act (警察人員人事條例) in January last year to raise income replacement ratios for police officers and firefighters. The act was signed into law by Lai in late April last year.
Citing constitutional concerns over legislative measures that increase government spending, the Cabinet has refused to implement the increases, and petitioned the Constitutional Court for a provisional injunction and a constitutional interpretation, both of which are pending.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
KMT Legislator Wu Tsung-hsien (吳宗憲) yesterday urged retirees who have received notices from the Ministry of Civil Service confirming their updated income replacement ratios to request a review of their cases.
Lawyers who regularly work with the party are willing to represent affected retirees and the party would cover any legal fees, he said.
The KMT would also file a lawsuit demanding that the Cabinet allocate funding for the pension increases, he added.
“This is a matter of justice. When a country’s leaders lack a sense of justice, that is when we must step forward,” he said.
The KMT’s move echoed a similar announcement made by the TPP earlier this week.
Under the laws, civil servants have 30 days to request a review by the Civil Service Protection and Training Commission if they believe they have been treated unfairly.
The KMT and the TPP have cited the Cabinet’s failure to earmark funds for the pension increases in this year’s general budget as one of the main reasons for blocking legislative review of the budget proposal.
In September last year, a coalition of retired police officers’ associations filed a lawsuit against Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰), accusing him of malfeasance over the Cabinet’s refusal to earmark funds for the pension increases.
Cabinet spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) at the time said that if the Constitutional Court rules the amendments constitutional, the government would immediately make adjustments and retroactively make up any unpaid amounts, ensuring that police officers’ rights are not affected.