Korea Federation of SMEs Holds '52-Hour Workweek Briefing for Root and Shipbuilding Industries'

The Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business located in Yeouido, Seoul.
[Photo by Asia Economy DB]

[Asia Economy Reporter Junhyung Lee] The Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business (KSMB) announced on the 26th that it held a 'Support Briefing Session for the Introduction of the 52-Hour Workweek System in the Foundry and Shipbuilding Industries' jointly with the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

The briefing session was organized to have labor inspectors currently working at the Ministry of Employment and Labor provide direct guidance through actual cases on shift system restructuring plans suitable for the foundry and shipbuilding industries, as well as ways to utilize flexible working hours. At the briefing, Park Jongpil, head of the Labor Inspection Policy Division at the Ministry of Employment and Labor, also responded to questions from foundry and shipbuilding industry workers attending the event.

Lee Jonggil, Executive Director of the Korea Metal Heat Treatment Industry Cooperative, said, "The foundry industry operates machines 24 hours a day, so to comply with the 52-hour workweek system, restructuring shifts through workforce expansion is inevitable," adding, "(However) domestic young and middle-aged workers avoid employment, and even the entry of foreign workers has been suspended, so there is no effective countermeasure."

Representatives from the shipbuilding industry stated, "Shipbuilding frequently involves outdoor work affected by weather, making artificial adjustment of working hours to introduce flexible working hours very difficult," and "Even if we try to respond by increasing manpower, it is impossible to find additional skilled workers." There were also opinions that countermeasures such as extending the special overtime work permit period should be prepared at least for job categories within shipbuilding where manpower supply is difficult, such as painting, molding, and jigging.

In response, Lee Taehee, head of the Smart Job Division at KSMB, said, "We fully empathize with the reality of the foundry and shipbuilding industries, where compliance with the 52-hour workweek system is challenging due to chronic manpower shortages," and added, "We will actively consult with the Ministry of Employment and Labor on improvements and additional support measures based on the difficulties to ensure the 52-hour workweek system settles in the field without side effects."

Meanwhile, the briefing session was broadcast live online. The video of the briefing session can be rewatched on the KSMB YouTube channel.

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