Labor and Management Oppose Plan to Transfer Labor Inspection Authority to Local Governments

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyungsoo Park] Both labor and management oppose the ruling party's plan to transfer labor inspection authority to local governments.

The Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) issued a statement on the 13th, saying, "We fully understand the intention to explore various methods to prevent industrial accidents," but added, "Transferring labor inspection authority to local governments will not solve the problem."

They criticized the plan to transfer labor inspection authority to local governments as an impulsive measure lacking deep consideration of labor realities.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor expressed concerns that transferring labor inspection authority to local governments could undermine the uniformity of labor inspections. Minister of Labor and Employment An Kyung-duk recently expressed a negative stance during a confirmation hearing.

The FKTU questioned, "In the event of a serious accident, both primary and subcontractors must be investigated. Can labor inspectors affiliated with local governments properly investigate large primary contractors?"

They also pointed out, "International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 81 stipulates that labor inspection duties, including protection of workers' working conditions and industrial safety and health, should be handled by the central government." They argued that the plan could violate ILO Convention No. 81, which Korea ratified in 1992.

The Korea Employers Federation (KEF) also stated regarding the transfer of labor inspection authority to local governments, "It would undermine the uniformity and consistency of labor inspections due to varying enforcement by each local government," adding, "This could cause confusion in industrial sites and lead to distrust in national policies."

They further added, "If inexperienced non-experts are deployed, a certain standard of labor inspection cannot be maintained," and "This could impose unnecessary burdens on both companies and workers subject to labor inspections, thereby reducing efficiency."

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