Ruling Party: "No Reforms Against Workers' Will Will Be Made"

Ruling Party and Government to Visit 'Biosone Jeyak' for On-site Meeting on the 11th

The ruling party and government stated their position on the controversial working hours system reform, which allowed up to 69 hours per week, saying, "We will not implement any reform plan against the will of the workers."

On the 11th, Park Dae-chul, the Policy Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, held an on-site meeting regarding the working hours system reform at Vivoson Pharmaceutical's Hyangnam plant in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, and made this announcement. Attending from the party were Chairman Park and Park Dae-su, a member of the National Assembly's Environment and Labor Committee, while from the government side, Kwon Ki-seop, Vice Minister of Employment and Labor, participated. Seven office and field workers from Vivoson Pharmaceutical were also present.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Chairman Park said, "The main point of the working hours system reform promoted by the Yoon Seok-yeol administration and the People Power Party is to do everything according to the workers' wishes," adding, "We will push forward reforms to guarantee workers' right to choose, rest, and health."

He continued, "Even if there is a need to adjust (working) hours by period, the total (working) hours will never increase under any circumstances," emphasizing this point. This statement appears to be an effort to address concerns that the reform might allow working up to 69 hours per week.

Chairman Park also explained, "Regarding the comprehensive wage system, many workers feel anxious that the total (working) hours might increase or that they might have to work more, but we are trying to completely alleviate such anxieties and move in a direction where workers can feel reassured."

According to the People Power Party, among the seven workers who attended the meeting, six responded that they would take a long vacation over ten days if they could accumulate extended working hours. Opinions were also expressed that managing the total amount of extended working hours on a monthly or quarterly basis would be more appropriate and easier to supervise than the government's proposed annual or semi-annual system.

However, workers also conveyed concerns about the feasibility of the reform, such as difficulties in finding substitute workers, and expressed that even if working hours are adjusted, it would be hard for workers to accept concentrated work during short periods when workload peaks beyond their capacity.

After the meeting, Chairman Park told reporters, "We will listen more to the voices from the field to prepare a reform plan that workers can trust and desire," adding, "We will listen, think further, and find the optimal solution."

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