Minnochoong Proposes 'Total Employment Maintenance' as a Tripartite Dialogue Agenda on COVID-19

On the 31st, Kim Myung-hwan, chairman of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, is speaking at the 'Press Conference on the Position of Religious and Civil Society Organizations Regarding the Response to the COVID-19 Economic Crisis' held on the stairs of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) proposed total employment maintenance as an agenda item in the one-point social dialogue among labor, management, and government to overcome the COVID-19 crisis. They also insisted on officially discussing the nationwide employment insurance mentioned by President Moon Jae-in during this dialogue.

Kim Myung-hwan, chairman of the KCTU, said at a press briefing held on the morning of the 12th at the KCTU conference room in Jeong-dong, Seoul, "If total employment maintenance is assumed, the social safety net, including nationwide employment insurance that guarantees livelihoods, will be expanded, so we plan to propose total employment maintenance," adding, "We will propose to officially include nationwide employment insurance."

Chairman Kim explained, "Due to the characteristics of Korean society, less than half of the workers who are supposed to be covered by so-called employment insurance actually benefit from it," and said, "Even amid COVID-19, how much the sweat of delivery workers supports our society. We need to seriously discuss completely changing the system for employment insurance for special types of workers (teukgo, special employment workers), and it should become a core agenda item of the COVID-19 labor-management-government consultation."

Regarding the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU), which decided to participate in the COVID-19 labor-management-government dialogue the day before, he said, "We truly welcome it and, although late, we express our desire to work together," emphasizing, "Both unions should take responsible actions for the 22 million workers and support vulnerable groups and the issues that will arise after COVID-19."

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