Discussion on Labor Union Act for Ratification of ILO Core Conventions... Tripartite Forum Held

Minister Lee Jae-gap: "Amendment of the Labor Union Act Is Not a Matter to Delay"
Pushing for Legal Processing Within This Year... A Platform for Tripartite Communication Before National Assembly Discussions
Labor Experts Mention Necessary Revisions to the Government's Labor Union Act Proposal

Minister Lee Jae-gap of the Ministry of Employment and Labor / Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] On the 21st, the Ministry of Employment and Labor held a tripartite discussion forum regarding the government's proposed amendment to the Labor Union Act for ratifying the International Labour Organization (ILO) core conventions.

On the afternoon of the same day, the Ministry hosted a tripartite discussion forum titled "Amending the Labor Union Act, Finding a Path to Coexistence" at the Royal Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. The forum is expected to be the last opportunity for communication among labor, management, and the government before the Labor Union Act amendment bill is formally discussed in the National Assembly next month.

In his opening remarks, Minister Lee Jae-gap of the Ministry of Employment and Labor stated, "The government legislative proposal to be discussed today is the result of careful consideration to guarantee the core content of 'freedom of association' while reflecting the unique characteristics of enterprise-level labor-management relations."

He emphasized, "It is true that there are differences in positions regarding the ratification of the core conventions related to freedom of association and the detailed contents of the Labor Union Act amendment. However, this does not mean that the amendment to the Labor Union Act can be delayed."

Sharing the recent trends of the 'Korea-European Union (EU) FTA Expert Panel Hearing' held last month, he conveyed, "The international community's demand for the amendment of the Labor Union Act is much stronger than expected."

He added, "Since other countries that have FTAs with us, such as the United States and Canada, are paying close attention to the hearing results, prompt amendment of the Labor Union Act is necessary to resolve future trade uncertainties."

The forum proceeded with thematic presentations and open discussions under the moderation of Professor Lee Cheol-soo from Seoul National University School of Law.

The first presenter, Professor Lee Seung-wook of Ewha Womans University School of Law, expressed considerable agreement with the government’s legislative proposal but pointed out some areas needing improvement.

Professor Lee stated, "An approach is needed that considers the realities and unique characteristics of labor-management relations in our country while aligning as closely as possible with the ILO international labor standards."

He further argued, "The direction of the Labor Union Act amendment should keep in mind respecting, promoting, and realizing the principle of freedom of association, and clearly present a timetable for additional amendments."

The second presenter, Research Fellow Yoon Ae-rim of Seoul National University Employment Welfare Law Center, raised opinions by identifying parts of the government’s amendment proposal that ▲ fall short of the ILO freedom of association principles, ▲ violate the freedom of association principles, and ▲ require additional legal amendments.

An official from the Ministry of Employment and Labor stated, "We plan to fully collect the various opinions raised at the forum to support the National Assembly discussions and do our best to ensure the law is passed within this year."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.