SME Industry "Welcomes Labor Reform Recommendations... 11-Hour Mandatory Rest Needs Supplementation"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwak Min-jae] The small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) sector has expressed a welcoming stance toward the Future Labor Market Research Group's recommendations for labor market reforms, including the revision of the 52-hour workweek system.

The Korea Federation of SMEs stated on the 13th, "The long-standing demand from the SME sector to expand the management unit for extended working hours to a monthly basis or longer has been reflected," adding, "It is expected that many difficulties related to chronic labor shortages and irregular overtime work, which have been hard to manage under the rigid 52-hour workweek framework, will be significantly alleviated."

The Federation also noted, "While we agree on the necessity of measures to protect workers' health rights, forcibly imposing an 11-hour rest period between working days across the board may not adequately reflect the diverse conditions of various industrial sites," and emphasized, "To maximize the effectiveness of the system revision, labor and management should autonomously establish health protection measures to enhance acceptance at the workplace."

Furthermore, they pointed out, "By the end of this year, the additional 8-hour extended work system, heavily relied upon by companies with fewer than 30 employees, will come to an end," stressing, "To help companies endure, the sunset clause should at least be extended until the institutional reform based on this recommendation is finalized."

Finally, they urged, "We hope the government will maintain communication with businesses on the ground until the very end and swiftly implement the announced recommendations," and added, "We also ask the National Assembly to expedite legislative supplementary measures related to this issue with a bipartisan stance."

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