Lee Chang-yang Meets Economic Groups: "Labor-Management Cooperation Is Key to Export Recovery in Second Half"

Emergency Meeting on the General Strike by Economic Organizations and Minnochoong

Lee Chang-yang, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, stated on the 3rd that "labor-management cooperation is the most urgent and important to drive export rebound in the second half of the year."

On the same day, Minister Lee made these remarks during an emergency meeting with vice chairpersons of six economic organizations at the Government Seoul Office.

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions will begin a general strike for two weeks from today until the 15th. In response, Minister Lee said, "If the strike is joined without following legal procedures, it is clearly an illegal strike, and the business community also needs to firmly reject the union's unfair demands and violations of labor-management rule of law." He emphasized, "The amendment to the Labor Union Act submitted to the National Assembly plenary session encourages illegal strikes and raises serious concerns about the contraction of business activities, so I ask for careful consideration in the National Assembly."

Attending the meeting were Lee Dong-geun, Vice Chairman of the Korea Employers Federation; Woo Tae-hee, Vice Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Jung Man-ki, Vice Chairman of the Korea International Trade Association; Lee Ho-jun, Vice Chairman of the Korea Federation of SMEs; Bae Sang-geun, Executive Director of the Federation of Korean Industries; and Lee Myung-ro, Head of the Korea Federation of Micro Enterprises.

According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the vice chairpersons of the economic organizations stated at the meeting that "illegal political strikes without justification that increase burdens on the economy and industry must be stopped," and "it is necessary to establish labor-management rule of law through strict responses when illegal acts occur."

A Ministry of Trade official said, "We will thoroughly prepare to minimize the impact of the general strike on our industry together with the business community, ensuring that production and exports are not disrupted."

Minister Lee Chang-yang of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. (File photo)

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