Car Union's "Legislation for Retirement Age Extension" Petition to National Assembly... "Opposition" MZ Generation 청원 Also Emerges

Will Retirement Age Extension Become a Hot Issue in This Year's Wage Negotiation Season?

The National Metal Workers' Union, Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors, and Korea GM, the three completed car manufacturers, held a press conference on the 3rd in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, urging legislation for retirement age extension linked to the National Pension Service. / Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Yu Je-hoon] The issue of "legislating retirement age extension," a hot topic in this year's wage and collective bargaining in the complete vehicle industry, has become a heated subject. As the labor unions of the three major domestic automakers launched a National Assembly petition demanding legislation, a counter petition opposing it emerged from MZ generation workers (born between the 1980s and 2000s), arguing that extending the retirement age could negatively impact youth unemployment and corporate competitiveness.

According to the industry on the 15th, the Hyundai Motor Branch, Kia Branch, and Korea GM Branch of the Korean Metal Workers' Union under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions have been conducting a National Assembly petition since the day before, demanding the amendment of Chapter 4 of the "Act on Prohibition of Age Discrimination in Employment and Promotion of Employment for Older Persons" (the Older Persons Employment Act).

Chapter 4 of the current Older Persons Employment Act includes provisions related to the retirement age. Earlier, in March, the three automaker unions urged the legislation to link the retirement age of workers to the start age of national pension benefits, extending it from the current age 60 to 65. This National Assembly petition is interpreted as a follow-up measure to that.

The three automaker unions emphasized, "Although average life expectancy is increasing, workers retire at 60, which is their prime working age, causing significant economic concerns for their remaining life after retirement. If the retirement age is extended in connection with the national pension benefit start age, workers can maintain stable post-retirement lives, which is a win-win solution for labor, management, and the government."

The automaker unions' choice to pursue a National Assembly petition instead of a Blue House petition is interpreted as considering practical impact. Although less publicly known than Blue House petitions, National Assembly petitions can effectively influence the legislature. If a National Assembly petition gains 100,000 signatures within 30 days, it undergoes review by the relevant committee, deliberation and resolution by the plenary session, and is then forwarded to the government.

Contrary to the automaker unions' move, voices opposing the legislation of retirement age extension also emerged from the MZ generation on the same day. One petitioner, who introduced themselves as an MZ generation field worker at one of the three automakers, posted a petition on the Blue House petition platform opposing the retirement age extension legislation.

The petitioner stated, "The complete vehicle industry is at a turning point shifting mainly to eco-friendly vehicles, but the three automaker unions are not preparing for the changing era and technology; instead, they are shouting for retirement age extension to preserve their existence and are conducting a National Assembly petition. If the retirement age is extended, it will further exacerbate youth unemployment, which is currently the biggest social issue, and companies will find it harder to secure young and smart talent during this industrial transition, leading to a worse direction."

The Blue House petition chosen by this petitioner requires 200,000 signatures within 30 days for the government or Blue House officials to respond, depending on the issue. Although it has a weaker legal basis compared to the National Assembly petition, considering that various social debates under the current administration have started from public petitions, its impact is not insignificant. Meanwhile, as of 9 a.m. on the day, the automaker unions' petition had 6,146 supporters, while the self-proclaimed MZ generation field worker's petition had 287 supporters.

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