Minister of Employment Meets 'MZ Union'... "Will Reflect MZ Generation's Concerns in Labor Reform"

Minister Lee Jeong-sik of Employment and Labor Meets MZ Generation Union
Korean Confederation of Trade Unions Criticizes "Government Trying to Use MZ Generation Union as a Front"

Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Jeong-sik is presiding over the MZ Generation Union Meeting held on the 22nd at Jeongdong 1928 Art Center in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Culture Young Intern Reporter] Lee Jeong-sik, Minister of Employment and Labor, who is promoting labor market reform plans, met with MZ generation (born 1982?2012) labor union executives. The Ministry of Employment and Labor stated that it arranged a meeting to listen to the difficulties young office workers face regarding the current wage and working hours system.

On this day, Minister Lee held a meeting with MZ generation union executives from LG Electronics, Seoul Metro, Kumho Tire, LIG Nex1, Naver, and others at the Jeongdong 1928 Art Center in Jung-gu, Seoul. The meeting was an opportunity to hear opinions on wages and working hours from the MZ generation, who prefer work-life balance (WLB), communication, and a fair and autonomous organizational culture.

Minister Lee, who comes from the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU), said, "The current labor laws and practices are rigid, rooted in the past and complacent in the present," adding, "You must be feeling a lot of frustration working and engaging in union activities at your workplaces." He also said, "Comparing the 1980s and 1990s when I was involved in the labor movement to now, over 30 years have passed, and the industrial environment surrounding the labor market and the overall economic and social landscape have changed significantly."

Meanwhile, a survey conducted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor from the 13th to the 18th among 2,424 users of the anonymous workplace app Blind showed that 85.56% answered "unfair," 8.70% "don't know," and 5.73% "fair" to the question "Do you think the current company's wage determination criteria are fair?"

To the question "What criteria do you think should be used to determine wages fairly?" 34.69% responded work performance, 25.08% assigned tasks, 24.50% individual capability, and 15.72% years of service. When asked "For what reasons do you usually feel the need to adjust working hours?" 36.92% answered leisure and self-development, 26.36% workload fluctuations, 24.01% childcare and family care, and 12.71% wage increase. Only 33.37% answered "possible" to the question "Is it possible to freely adjust working hours when necessary?"

The Ministry of Employment and Labor conveyed that many workplace complaints on the Blind app, such as "Rewards are set regardless of performance, so working hard makes me feel like a fool and lowers motivation," and "It is unfair to be promoted just by accumulating experience," have gained much sympathy. Minister Lee promised the MZ generation executives attending the meeting, "We will actively reflect the difficulties, concerns, and desired directions for change you experience in the field in future labor market reforms."

The government stated its position to incorporate opinions raised on-site into labor market reforms. However, the labor sector criticized the nature of the unions attending the meeting, saying, "The government is trying to use MZ generation unions as a front."

The Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) criticized in a statement, "The unions invited are those that criticized the collective agreements of existing production and technical worker-centered unions and align with the government's labor market reform direction," adding, "Moreover, these are office worker-centered unions, and since not all MZ generation workers are office workers, this is biased."

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