People Power Party: "Ruling Party's 'Alternative Holiday Act' Passed Hastily... Must Guarantee Holiday Rights for All Citizens"

"Excluding Workplaces with Fewer Than 5 Employees Contradicts the Purpose"

Lee Young, Member of the People Power Party [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] The People Power Party demanded that the government properly draft the bill and resubmit it to the National Assembly in accordance with the purpose of guaranteeing the public's right to holidays, regarding the Public Holidays Act, which excludes workplaces with fewer than five employees, being passed solely by the ruling party.

All members of the People Power Party's Administrative Safety Committee held a press conference at the National Assembly on the 23rd, stating, "We, the members of the People Power Party's Administrative Safety Committee, deeply regret that the ruling party hastily, unilaterally, and forcefully passed the 'Public Holidays Act' today."

The members criticized the government and ruling party for pushing through a nationally significant public holiday-related law without any social consensus or proper economic review, describing the process as hasty.

They particularly pointed out that at the public hearing held on the 16th for the enactment of the bill, there was no representative for small and medium-sized enterprises or small business owners, who are most affected by labor and holidays, and that the ruling party members completed their consultation in just one day.

They also demanded that the Cabinet meeting presided over by the President designate four public holidays in the second half of this year, including Liberation Day, as temporary holidays.

Furthermore, they requested that the government redraft the bill in line with the purpose of "guaranteeing the public's right to holidays" and submit it again to the National Assembly.

On the same day, Representative Lee Young of the Administrative Safety Committee explained in a meeting with reporters after the press conference that when asked if they opposed the Public Holidays Act itself, "Even without enacting the law, the President's Cabinet meeting can discuss it."

He added, "There should be data simulating the impact on small and medium-sized enterprises or small business owners due to the passage of the bill, but despite three requests to the bill subcommittee, there was none. We should not create laws irresponsibly like this. That is why we expressed the opinion that the law needs to be redrafted."

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