Lee Si-chuan Vows to Align New Taipei Benefits with Taipei if Elected

New Taipei City Deputy Mayor Li Si-chuan, whose potential run for New Taipei City Mayor has garnered significant public attention, today publicly unveiled a series of major policy proposals concerning the welfare of frontline laborers and educational personnel. Li explicitly stated that if he gains the support of citizens and successfully is elected Mayor of New Taipei City, the city government's social welfare and care standards will be comprehensively upgraded to match those of neighboring capital Taipei City. The core of this policy directly targets long-standing social concerns regarding occupational hazard protection for workers and tangible festive benefits for grassroots teachers, demonstrating a strong governing ambition focused on people's livelihoods and the voices of ordinary workers.

Regarding specific plans for labor rights protection, Li proposed a substantial increase in the standards for occupational hazard condolence payments for New Taipei laborers. Under current regulations, New Taipei City issues NT$300,000 in condolence money to the families of workers who unfortunately die in the line of duty or from work-related causes at their workplaces. To provide more substantive financial support and comfort to workers and their families, Li pledged that in the future, the city will directly match Taipei City's payout amount, raising occupational hazard condolence payments for work-related deaths to NT$360,000 in one go. This adjustment represents not only an increase in funds but also symbolizes the local government's high regard for labor dignity and safety.

In addition to upgraded labor welfare, the rights and interests of frontline educational personnel were also a key focus of this policy announcement. Targeting Teachers' Day every September, Li proposed a concrete plan to increase the Teachers' Day monetary gift. Currently, New Taipei City issues a holiday gift of NT$1,000 to teachers. To show appreciation for teachers' daily hard work and dedication in their educational posts, he plans—should he lead the New Taipei City government in the future—to double the Teachers' Day gift to a standard of NT$2,000 per person. This change narrows the gap in educational welfare between New Taipei City and Taipei City, holding positive and substantive significance for boosting the morale of grassroots teachers.

The context of this policy release highlights the long-standing competitive and cooperative relationship, as well as public expectations, regarding social welfare and subsidy standards between the twin cities of Taipei and New Taipei. As a shared living circle, residents of both cities have always been sensitive to comparisons of welfare policies. In the past, due to considerations of fiscal scale and demographic structure, New Taipei City often had slight gaps compared to Taipei City in various budget allocations and resource distributions. By leading with the promise to "match Taipei City," Li has accurately captured New Taipei citizens' psychological expectations for "equal pay for equal work, same region, same welfare." Through a policy appeal that levels the welfare gap between the twin cities, he has demonstrated a pragmatic governance style close to public opinion.

From political and social perspectives, Li's introduction of these two welfare policies not only directly addresses laborers and teachers—two massive and highly mobilizable social groups—but also lays a solid foundation for his future political movements and governance blueprint. Labor occupational hazard protection concerns the economic safety net of grassroots families, while the Teachers' Day gift directly corresponds to the educational sector's demands for dignity and recognition. Both groups are indispensable core forces for the city's operation. Through concrete numerical commitments and increased welfare, Li has successfully sparked high-level discussions across all sectors of society, making the future direction of New Taipei City's welfare policies a focal point of political attention.

(Source of Facts: Central News Agency)