Editorial: Sept 3 protest highlights serious social unfairness and injustice in Taiwan

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-09-05
By: Cli Square, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Thousands of retired and serving military officers, civil servants and teachers marched through Taipei Saturday in the name of “anti smear and defending dignity.” But did they take to the street truly because they thought they deserve the unbelievably generous pensions they have been receiving and have been unjustly painted as a group of “social benefit predators?” Or did they take to the street to protest against the prospect that such pensions could be greatly modified?

The disproportionate pension schemes for the above-mentioned groups have been depleting the pension funds and are likely to drive the government’s finance to the brink of bankruptcy if left unattended.

Generosity is okay, but unfairness is not. The fact is that the country’s current pension schemes are extremely lopsided.     [FULL  STORY]