Laborers March on May 1st, Demanding 12% Pension Contribution and Abolition of Old System Cap
Labor groups announced that this year's May 1st labor march will focus on retirement security, proposing demands such as raising the employer contribution rate for the new labor pension system to 12% and abolishing the cap on the old labor pension system. The march will start from Ketagalan Boulevard and gather at the Legislative Yuan, demanding responses from representatives of the three major parties. Dai Kuo-jung, chairman of the National Federation of Independent Unions, stated that Taiwan faces an aging population and declining birthrate, making retirement system reform urgent.
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- 📰 Published: April 17, 2026 at 13:43
- 🔍 Collected: April 17, 2026 at 14:01 (18 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 17, 2026 at 17:31 (3h 30m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency, Taipei, 17th, reporter Wu Hsin-yun) "What you get must be enough." Labor groups announced that this year's May 1st labor march will focus on retirement security, proposing demands such as raising the employer contribution rate for the new labor pension system to 12% and abolishing the cap on the old labor pension system. The march will start from Ketagalan Boulevard and gather at the Legislative Yuan, demanding responses from representatives of the three major parties.
May 1st is Labor Day, and laborers will also take to the streets on that day to fight for labor rights. The "May 1st Action Alliance," initiated by dozens of trade unions and NGOs, held a pre-march press conference today at Ketagalan Boulevard, announcing that this year's May 1st will focus on the most concerned issue of retirement security for laborers, demanding that the government improve the retirement system, and also performed a skit, using a tattered umbrella to symbolize that the retirement system seems to be guaranteed, but is actually riddled with holes.
Dai Kuo-jung, chairman of the National Federation of Independent Unions and the general leader of this year's march, stated that while Taiwan's average life expectancy is increasing, it is also facing the crisis of a declining birthrate. With the rapid acceleration of aging, the risk of poverty in old age is imminent. This year's May 1st demands focus on retirement system reform. Representatives from the Kuomintang, Democratic Progressive Party, and Taiwan People's Party are also invited to the event, hoping that they will respond with goodwill and establish a long-term system that allows all laborers to work with peace of mind and retire with confidence.
The common demands of the May 1st labor march include raising the employer contribution rate for the new labor pension system, raising the calculation for the old labor pension system, raising the insured salary grades for labor insurance and labor pension, comprehensive social insurance coverage, including migrant workers in the new labor pension system, full allocation of public and education pension and return of seniority compensation, and a unified 15% contribution rate for public and private school pensions.
Chu Chia-yun, general commander of the march and vice chairman of the Taiwan Workers' Struggle General Union, stated that the government's so-called retirement policy has left laborers with no room to retreat. The 6% employer contribution rate for the new labor pension system is not enough at all. At that time, the government said, "first have it, then make it better, and gradually adjust it," but now 20 years have passed, and it has not been adjusted by 1%. They demand that the government amend the law to raise it to 12%.
Chu Chia-yun also said that she hopes the government will no longer use investment data to say things like self-contribution can also reach 12%. Self-contribution is money saved by laborers, and not everyone can self-contribute. The government should publicly explain why the new system's contribution rate has not been raised after 20 years, and the 45-base cap on the old labor pension system is outdated and should be abolished. The severance pay for the new system should also be increased to 15 months.
Chiu Yi-kan, general commander of the march and chairman of the Taipei City Federation of Trade Unions, said that the cap on labor insurance insured salaries has not been adjusted for many years. This time, they also demand that it should be raised to at least NT$48,200, so that the benefits received will not differ too much from actual salaries. The current monthly contribution salary grade cap for the new labor pension system is NT$150,000, which is even larger than the gap with health insurance. The government should also raise it to NT$313,000.
Chiu Yi-kan also said that migrant workers contribute greatly to the industry, and international trends oppose forced labor. The labor conditions for migrant workers and local workers should be consistent, and domestic workers and migrant workers should be included in all social insurance and the new labor pension system.
Lin Shun-chi, chairman of the Kaohsiung City Federation of Trade Unions, stated that in addition to the May 1st march in Taipei, there will also be one in Kaohsiung. He hopes that through the north-south connection, the government will hear the laborers' demands for retirement security reform.
According to the plan, the labor march will gather at Ketagalan Boulevard at 12:00 noon on May 1st. At 1:00 PM, they will explain their demands and perform a skit. At 1:30 PM, they will set off and march along Gongyuan Road, Zhongxiao West Road, and Zhongshan South Road, and gather in front of the Qunxian Building of the Legislative Yuan on Jinan Road, and invite representatives of the three parties to respond. It is expected that more than 6,000 laborers will take to the streets. (Editor: Li Shu-hua) 1150417
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(Central News Agency, Taipei, 17th, reporter Wu Hsin-yun) "What you get must be enough." Labor groups announced that this year's May 1st labor march will focus on retirement security, proposing demands such as raising the employer contribution rate for the new labor pension system to 12% and abolishing the cap on the old labor pension system. The march will start from Ketagalan Boulevard and gather at the Legislative Yuan, demanding responses from representatives of the three major parties.
May 1st is Labor Day, and laborers will also take to the streets on that day to fight for labor rights. The "May 1st Action Alliance," initiated by dozens of trade unions and NGOs, held a pre-march press conference today at Ketagalan Boulevard, announcing that this year's May 1st will focus on the most concerned issue of retirement security for laborers, demanding that the government improve the retirement system, and also performed a skit, using a tattered umbrella to symbolize that the retirement system seems to be guaranteed, but is actually riddled with holes.
Dai Kuo-jung, chairman of the National Federation of Independent Unions and the general leader of this year's march, stated that while Taiwan's average life expectancy is increasing, it is also facing the crisis of a declining birthrate. With the rapid acceleration of aging, the risk of poverty in old age is imminent. This year's May 1st demands focus on retirement system reform. Representatives from the Kuomintang, Democratic Progressive Party, and Taiwan People's Party are also invited to the event, hoping that they will respond with goodwill and establish a long-term system that allows all laborers to work with peace of mind and retire with confidence.
The common demands of the May 1st labor march include raising the employer contribution rate for the new labor pension system, raising the calculation for the old labor pension system, raising the insured salary grades for labor insurance and labor pension, comprehensive social insurance coverage, including migrant workers in the new labor pension system, full allocation of public and education pension and return of seniority compensation, and a unified 15% contribution rate for public and private school pensions.
Chu Chia-yun, general commander of the march and vice chairman of the Taiwan Workers' Struggle General Union, stated that the government's so-called retirement policy has left laborers with no room to retreat. The 6% employer contribution rate for the new labor pension system is not enough at all. At that time, the government said, "first have it, then make it better, and gradually adjust it," but now 20 years have passed, and it has not been adjusted by 1%. They demand that the government amend the law to raise it to 12%.
Chu Chia-yun also said that she hopes the government will no longer use investment data to say things like self-contribution can also reach 12%. Self-contribution is money saved by laborers, and not everyone can self-contribute. The government should publicly explain why the new system's contribution rate has not been raised after 20 years, and the 45-base cap on the old labor pension system is outdated and should be abolished. The severance pay for the new system should also be increased to 15 months.
Chiu Yi-kan, general commander of the march and chairman of the Taipei City Federation of Trade Unions, said that the cap on labor insurance insured salaries has not been adjusted for many years. This time, they also demand that it should be raised to at least NT$48,200, so that the benefits received will not differ too much from actual salaries. The current monthly contribution salary grade cap for the new labor pension system is NT$150,000, which is even larger than the gap with health insurance. The government should also raise it to NT$313,000.
Chiu Yi-kan also said that migrant workers contribute greatly to the industry, and international trends oppose forced labor. The labor conditions for migrant workers and local workers should be consistent, and domestic workers and migrant workers should be included in all social insurance and the new labor pension system.
Lin Shun-chi, chairman of the Kaohsiung City Federation of Trade Unions, stated that in addition to the May 1st march in Taipei, there will also be one in Kaohsiung. He hopes that through the north-south connection, the government will hear the laborers' demands for retirement security reform.
According to the plan, the labor march will gather at Ketagalan Boulevard at 12:00 noon on May 1st. At 1:00 PM, they will explain their demands and perform a skit. At 1:30 PM, they will set off and march along Gongyuan Road, Zhongxiao West Road, and Zhongshan South Road, and gather in front of the Qunxian Building of the Legislative Yuan on Jinan Road, and invite representatives of the three parties to respond. It is expected that more than 6,000 laborers will take to the streets. (Editor: Li Shu-hua) 1150417
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency's "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.