Labor Day Protests in Taipei and Kaohsiung: Workers Demand Retirement System Reforms with 8 Major Appeals
On Labor Day, a large-scale labor protest took place in Taiwan, with labor groups demanding reforms to the retirement pension system. They put forward eight major appeals, including raising the employer's contribution rate for the new labor pension system to 12% and abolishing the cap on the old labor pension system's base.
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- 📰 Published: May 1, 2026 at 15:25
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- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 1, 2026 at 17:24 (1h 52m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Wu Hsin-yun, Taipei, 1st) A large labor parade took place today, with labor groups gathering to demand reforms to the retirement system, including raising the employer's contribution rate for the new labor pension system to 12% and abolishing the cap on the old labor pension system's base. They also performed a skit questioning the inadequacy of the new labor pension system in protecting workers' retirement, while employers profit handsomely.
Today is May 1st Labor Day. The May 1st Action Alliance, formed by multiple labor unions, held "Northern and Southern Connections" this year, organizing large labor parades in Taipei and Kaohsiung. The Taipei parade began at 1 PM on Ketagalan Boulevard, where various labor unions gathered with "labor rights clapping fans," fanning themselves while shouting slogans such as "Increase retirement benefits, full coverage for local and migrant workers."
Dai Kuo-jung, the general convener of the parade and chairman of the National Federation of Industrial Unions, stated in an interview that this year's May 1st demands focus on retirement system reforms. He noted that the global labor market is facing industrial transformation and changes in population structure, which will affect workers' employment, lead to an M-shaped wage distribution, and even cause structural unemployment.
Dai Kuo-jung emphasized that Taiwan must establish a more comprehensive system to ensure workers' economic security in old age. This year, eight major demands for retirement system reform were put forward, including increasing the employer's mandatory contribution rate for the new labor pension system, hoping to gradually raise it from 6% to 12%, and increasing the pension base for the old labor pension system, abolishing the 45-month base cap, allowing workers to receive 2 months of pension base for each year of work.
Secondly, Dai Kuo-jung said that workers are a socially and economically disadvantaged group who rely on severance pay to maintain their family's livelihood. He also advocated for raising the cap on severance pay for the new labor pension system, increasing the ceiling for labor insurance and labor pension contributions to reflect the consumer price index, ensuring full appropriation for public and private school pension funds and returning years of service compensation, and a uniform 15% contribution rate for all public and private school pension funds.
This year's parade demands also included items related to migrant workers' rights, such as incorporating migrant workers into the new labor pension system and providing full insurance coverage for domestic service workers. These demands, however, drew criticism and questioning from some employer groups, who argued that they were "only for migrant workers." Dai Kuo-jung responded that Taiwan is a country that highly values human rights, and migrant workers in Taiwan, regardless of nationality, should be treated equally. Taiwan's emphasis on international labor human rights also positively benefits the nation's reputation.
Dai Kuo-jung also called on the Ministry of Labor, stating that after collecting opinions from various sectors of society for so many years, the Ministry of Labor should actively respond to the retirement reform demands put forward this May 1st.
The May 1st Action Alliance then performed a skit titled "Whom Did Chen Chu's New Labor Pension System Save?" Union members, playing Chen Chu, who promoted the new labor pension system as the then-Minister of the Council of Labor Affairs, re-enacted the "fox rescue in the snowy mountain" meme, asking workers, "Are you the worker I saved 20 years ago?" This questioned whether the new labor pension system, implemented 20 years ago, still provides insufficient retirement protection for workers, benefiting only employers by reducing their costs.
The parade procession departed from Ketagalan Boulevard at approximately 1:36 PM, proceeding along Gongyuan Road, Zhongxiao West Road, and Zhongshan South Road, finally gathering on Jinan Road for a collective action to "Fight for Retirement Security." Representatives from the Kuomintang, Democratic Progressive Party, and Taiwan People's Party will be present to publicly respond to the reform demands put forward by the unions. (Editor: Lee Shu-hua) 1150501
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(Central News Agency reporter Wu Hsin-yun, Taipei, 1st) A large labor parade took place today, with labor groups gathering to demand reforms to the retirement system, including raising the employer's contribution rate for the new labor pension system to 12% and abolishing the cap on the old labor pension system's base. They also performed a skit questioning the inadequacy of the new labor pension system in protecting workers' retirement, while employers profit handsomely.
Today is May 1st Labor Day. The May 1st Action Alliance, formed by multiple labor unions, held "Northern and Southern Connections" this year, organizing large labor parades in Taipei and Kaohsiung. The Taipei parade began at 1 PM on Ketagalan Boulevard, where various labor unions gathered with "labor rights clapping fans," fanning themselves while shouting slogans such as "Increase retirement benefits, full coverage for local and migrant workers."
Dai Kuo-jung, the general convener of the parade and chairman of the National Federation of Industrial Unions, stated in an interview that this year's May 1st demands focus on retirement system reforms. He noted that the global labor market is facing industrial transformation and changes in population structure, which will affect workers' employment, lead to an M-shaped wage distribution, and even cause structural unemployment.
Dai Kuo-jung emphasized that Taiwan must establish a more comprehensive system to ensure workers' economic security in old age. This year, eight major demands for retirement system reform were put forward, including increasing the employer's mandatory contribution rate for the new labor pension system, hoping to gradually raise it from 6% to 12%, and increasing the pension base for the old labor pension system, abolishing the 45-month base cap, allowing workers to receive 2 months of pension base for each year of work.
Secondly, Dai Kuo-jung said that workers are a socially and economically disadvantaged group who rely on severance pay to maintain their family's livelihood. He also advocated for raising the cap on severance pay for the new labor pension system, increasing the ceiling for labor insurance and labor pension contributions to reflect the consumer price index, ensuring full appropriation for public and private school pension funds and returning years of service compensation, and a uniform 15% contribution rate for all public and private school pension funds.
This year's parade demands also included items related to migrant workers' rights, such as incorporating migrant workers into the new labor pension system and providing full insurance coverage for domestic service workers. These demands, however, drew criticism and questioning from some employer groups, who argued that they were "only for migrant workers." Dai Kuo-jung responded that Taiwan is a country that highly values human rights, and migrant workers in Taiwan, regardless of nationality, should be treated equally. Taiwan's emphasis on international labor human rights also positively benefits the nation's reputation.
Dai Kuo-jung also called on the Ministry of Labor, stating that after collecting opinions from various sectors of society for so many years, the Ministry of Labor should actively respond to the retirement reform demands put forward this May 1st.
The May 1st Action Alliance then performed a skit titled "Whom Did Chen Chu's New Labor Pension System Save?" Union members, playing Chen Chu, who promoted the new labor pension system as the then-Minister of the Council of Labor Affairs, re-enacted the "fox rescue in the snowy mountain" meme, asking workers, "Are you the worker I saved 20 years ago?" This questioned whether the new labor pension system, implemented 20 years ago, still provides insufficient retirement protection for workers, benefiting only employers by reducing their costs.
The parade procession departed from Ketagalan Boulevard at approximately 1:36 PM, proceeding along Gongyuan Road, Zhongxiao West Road, and Zhongshan South Road, finally gathering on Jinan Road for a collective action to "Fight for Retirement Security." Representatives from the Kuomintang, Democratic Progressive Party, and Taiwan People's Party will be present to publicly respond to the reform demands put forward by the unions. (Editor: Lee Shu-hua) 1150501
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 in real-time.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.