Lee Jeong-sik: "Unilateral Amendment of Labor Union Law Will Cause Tremendous Aftershocks... Alternatives Must Be Prepared Through Tripartite Discussions"

On the 1st, Lee Jeong-sik, Minister of Employment and Labor, stated, "Based on historical experience, unilateral amendments to the Labor Union Act that reflect only one side's position have only led to tremendous backlash," explaining the reason for proposing a reconsideration request for the Yellow Envelope Act.

On the same day, the government decided at the Cabinet meeting to request reconsideration from the National Assembly regarding the "Partial Amendment to the Labor Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act," which was passed by the National Assembly on the 9th, in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Korea.

First, Minister Lee expressed concerns that the implementation of the Yellow Envelope Act could cause significant confusion in collective bargaining at industrial sites. He said, "The amendment expands the definition of 'user' in the Labor Union Act to the vague concept of 'substantial and specific control and decision,' placing primary contractors and others in an uncertain state where they cannot predict the counterparties and scope of collective bargaining," adding, "The unclear scope of users subject to criminal punishment for failure to fulfill collective bargaining obligations also violates the principle of clarity under the rule of law."

He pointed out that if the amendment is implemented, strikes could be possible even on matters that have been resolved through legal procedures in courts and labor commissions. Minister Lee stated, "This will spread attempts to resolve all issues related to working conditions through strikes, undermining cooperative labor-management relations and industrial peace, causing public inconvenience and economic difficulties due to frequent strikes," emphasizing, "Unlike other joint illegal acts, the amendment recognizes exceptions to joint and several liability only for union activities, thereby restricting damage claims by victims compared to other joint illegal acts, which is unfair."

He further added, "While I deeply sympathize with the need to protect vulnerable workers and improve the dual labor market structure, these issues cannot be resolved by amending just a few legal provisions; a comprehensive approach that fosters an ecosystem of coexistence and solidarity is necessary," and said, "Now that social dialogue has been restored, I hope that through in-depth discussions among labor, management, and government, effective measures to improve the dual labor market structure will be developed."

Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Jeong-sik. (File photo)

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