In an effort to ensure justice and accountability, Hou Chung-Liang, President of the National Teachers’ Association (NTA Taiwan), has embarked on a hunger strike since August 20th. This drastic action aims to pressure the government into fulfilling its obligations as the employer of all civil servants, including teachers and education personnel.
Legislative amendments and government inaction
After years of persistent lobbying by the NTA, the Legislative Yuan - the unicameral legislature of Taiwan - adopted amendments to the pension laws at the end of 2022. These amendments mandated the central government to fully fund the Civil Service Pension Fund, based on a report by the Ministry of Civil Service. This was a significant step towards ensuring the sustainable financing of the Pension Fund, guaranteeing retirement payments for hardworking teachers and education personnel.
The financial reality: A looming deficit
The MCS report indicated that the Public Service Pension Fund would be empty by 2051. The report proposed three financing options, with timelines of 10, 15, and 20 years, for the central government to choose in order to balance the deficit. However, the government has failed to comply with these legal requirements and professional actuarial advice.
Government fails to allocate sufficient funds
In the previous budget year, only 5 billion Taiwan new dollars (TN$) – equivalent to 140,700,000 euros (€) - was allocated to balance the Pension Fund deficit for 2023, while the Ministry of Civil Service recommended an annual allocation of 31.7 billion TN$ - equivalent to 900,600,000 € - over 10 years. This year, the Ministry of Civil Service proposed an annual allocation of 29.7 billion TN$ - equivalent to 836,000,000 €, but the government concluded with only 19.4 billion TN$ - equivalent to 546,000,000 € - after a Cabinet meeting on August 22nd.
During the hunger strike, Hou Chung-Liang, along with local teacher union leaders, protested under extreme heat. In a press interview, Hou criticised the government for failing its employees twice in two years since the general election in 2022. Hou condemned “the government's lack of accountability and its dishonest approach to national financing, which has jeopardized the rights of teachers and education personnel.”
The NTA's demands
The NTA Taiwan, as the largest national union representing teachers and educational personnel, has made two concrete demands. First, the government must adopt a more sustainable pension fund financing programme, as advised by the Ministry of Civil Service, with a 10-year timeline.
Second, the government must promise its employees that there will be no further pension reforms due to unresolved deficits that would require cuts to the Public Service Pension Fund.
A fight for the future
The hunger strike is a strong protest against the government's mismanagement of the Public Service Pension Fund. Despite being sent to the emergency room for immediate medical care, Hou Chung-Liang's is determined to continue the fight for a just and sustainable future for all civil servants in Taiwan.
Education International calls on Taiwan’s public authorities to listen to the demands of NTA Taiwan, fund education, and ensure that teachers and education support personnel have decent living and working conditions.