Labor and Civic Groups Rally Against Amendments to the Serious Accident Punishment Act Amid Consecutive Workplace Deaths

Democratic Labor Union, People's Solidarity Condemn Yoon Seok-yeol Government
"Forcing Death on Workers Again"
Industrial Accident Deaths from Jan to Aug This Year Decreased by Only 9 Compared to Last Year

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Gong Byung-sun] Following the death of a female worker in her 20s at SPL Pyeongtaek Factory, an SPC affiliate, labor groups and civic organizations are raising their voices against the Yoon Suk-yeol administration's amendment of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act (Serious Accidents Punishment Act). They have also called for the enactment of a Special Construction Safety Act, going beyond the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.

On the 26th at 2 p.m., the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) held a "Resolution Rally to Condemn the Yoon Suk-yeol Government for Undermining the Serious Accidents Punishment Act" in front of Exit 12 of Seoul Station. Approximately 700 union members, according to KCTU estimates, attempted to march to the Yongsan Presidential Office but were stopped by the police for exceeding the reported assembly number of 500. During this process, there was a clash between union members and the police, but no serious injuries were reported.

Yang Kyung-soo, Chairman of the KCTU, said, "The Yoon administration is trying to undermine the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, which was created in response to demands to prevent repeated deaths of workers," adding, "This is forcing death upon workers once again."

The labor sector is also urging the enactment of the Special Construction Safety Act. This act would impose safety responsibilities on all parties involved in construction projects, including ordering, design, construction, and supervision. If negligence leads to a worker's death, penalties would include imprisonment of up to seven years or fines up to 100 million won. Jang Ok-gi, Chairman of the Construction Industry Federation, mentioned the accident at the new logistics warehouse construction site in Anseong City, where two construction workers died, stating, "Accidents at construction sites are occurring due to the speed race to shorten construction periods excessively."

Civic groups are also criticizing the amendment of the enforcement decree of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. On the 23rd, People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy stated in a commentary, "SPC, which lacks social responsibility, must be strictly punished," and added, "To prevent ongoing worker deaths, the Yoon administration must stop attempts to weaken the Serious Accidents Punishment Act through amendments to the enforcement decree."

The Serious Accidents Punishment Act, which came into effect on January 27 this year, stipulates that when a serious industrial accident occurs at workplaces above a certain scale, management officials who neglect accident prevention duties are to be punished. The business community has expressed concerns that the act dampens management's will, and the Yoon administration has accepted this, attempting to amend the enforcement decree of the act since early in its term.

In August, the Ministry of Strategy and Finance proposed a research report outlining directions for amending the enforcement decree of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act to the Ministry of Employment and Labor. The report reportedly includes measures to expand the scope of management responsibility by recognizing the Chief Safety and Health Officer as a management official, thereby reducing the CEO’s liability.

However, industrial accident deaths continue to occur even after the enforcement of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, 432 workers died from industrial accidents between January and August this year, only nine fewer than the previous year. Additionally, the number of deaths at the top 100 construction companies in the third quarter increased by 50% year-on-year, totaling 18.

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