Kyungshik Son Meets with Democratic Party: "Trade Union Act Articles 2 and 3... Will Cause Extreme Confusion in Industrial Sites"

"Expanding the Definition of 'Employer' to an Abstract and Ambiguous Concept"
"If Hundreds of Subcontractor Unions Demand Negotiations, It Will Lead to Chaos"

Kyungshik Son, Chairman of the Korea Employers Federation, expressed concerns regarding the proposed amendments to Articles 2 and 3 of the Trade Union Act (commonly referred to as the Yellow Envelope Act), stating, "If hundreds of subcontractor unions demand negotiations, it will be impossible for the primary employers to respond to each case, and industrial sites will fall into a state of extreme confusion."

At the Korea Employers Federation building on the 14th, a labor policy meeting was held between the six economic organizations and the Democratic Party's Environment and Labor Committee members. Front row from the left: Jeong Park, Hakyoung Lee, Hoyoung An, Kyungshik Son, Jooyoung Kim, Haecheol Park, Hongbae Park. Back row from the left: Donggeun Lee, Changbeom Kim, Inho Lee, Giwoong Oh, Seokgu Kang, Yanggyun Park. Korea Employers Federation

On the 14th, during a labor policy meeting with members of the Democratic Party's Environment and Labor Committee at the Korea Employers Federation building, Chairman Son commented that the proposed amendments to Articles 2 and 3 of the Trade Union Act "expand the definition of 'employer' to an abstract and ambiguous concept of 'a position that can substantially and specifically control or determine working conditions,' which is problematic."

Chairman Son warned, "If strikes by subcontractor unions targeting primary companies occur frequently, the primary companies may sever business ties with domestic partners where strikes are frequent or even relocate their businesses overseas. The resulting damage will ultimately fall on workers at small and micro enterprises, as well as on future generations."

Additionally, Chairman Son pointed out, "The proposed amendments stipulate that liability for damages should be determined based on each participant's degree of involvement and contribution to illegal acts. However, in reality, when a strike occurs, unions may occupy workplaces, wear masks, or cover CCTV cameras to commit illegal acts, making it extremely difficult for employers to prove the individual illegal actions of each union member."

He added, "Most court rulings that recognize union members' liability for damages are based on extreme illegal acts such as workplace occupation. If even the victimized employer's right to claim damages is restricted, illegal acts could spread significantly at industrial sites."

Chairman Son emphasized, "Amending the Trade Union Act is not merely a matter of revising a law, but a significant change that could bring tremendous confusion to labor-management relations." He stressed the need for sufficient consultation between labor and management through social dialogue.

He continued, "For these reasons, the business community has consistently raised the need to maintain the current Trade Union Act. However, it is regrettable that sufficient consultation between labor and management through social dialogue has not been achieved so far. I hope that, starting with today's meeting, there will be ample discussion through dialogue."

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