Lee Jae-myung Proposes 22nd National Assembly's 'First Bill'... "Partial Transfer of Labor Inspection Authority to Local Governments"
by Oh Jieun
Published 21 Aug.2024 16:38(KST)
First Bill Submitted in Early Session for the First Time
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Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, has submitted his 'No. 1 bill' as a member of the 22nd National Assembly. Having emphasized local decentralization and industrial safety, Lee included in his first bill a provision to transfer labor inspection authority, currently concentrated in the Ministry of Employment and Labor, to metropolitan and provincial governments. As a re-elected lawmaker, he served only two years of the four-year term in the 21st National Assembly, having entered through a by-election. This is his first true 'No. 1 bill.'
On the 21st, Lee announced the submission of a 'Labor Standards Act Amendment' to transfer industrial safety inspection and oversight authority from government agencies to local governments. In June, a fire at the Aricell factory, a primary battery manufacturer in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, resulted in 31 casualties. It was reported that Aricell had not been inspected by the Ministry of Employment and Labor for industrial safety in the past five years. Based on criticisms that the Ministry of Employment and Labor could not handle the workload of labor inspections, Lee prepared a bill allowing heads of metropolitan and provincial governments, delegated with authority from the Minister of Employment and Labor, to appoint 'local labor inspectors.'
He argued that it is appropriate for local governments to perform part of the labor inspection duties in line with the era of local decentralization. According to Lee’s office, if the bill passes, in addition to the current central labor inspectors appointed by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, local labor inspectors designated by special mayors, metropolitan mayors, special self-governing city mayors, governors, and special self-governing province governors will be able to efficiently manage and supervise labor sites. The plan is to involve local governments, which are well-versed in regional issues, in labor inspections.
During his tenure as governor of Gyeonggi Province in 2021, Lee was also interested in related measures, including developing a 'cooperation model' to share labor inspection duties between central and local governments. A staff member from his office stated, “We will continue to broadly guarantee workers’ rights and create a safe and fair world for everyone.”
This bill was jointly submitted to the National Assembly by Lee (as the main proposer) along with lawmakers Kang Deuk-gu, Kim Seung-won, Kim Ju-young, Park Gyun-taek, Park Chan-dae, Park Hae-cheol, Park Hong-bae, Ahn Ho-young, Lim Gwang-hyun, Jang Kyung-tae, and Jeong Jun-ho. Lee also concurrently proposed a related bill titled 'Partial Amendment to the Act on Persons Performing Judicial Police Duties and Their Scope of Duties.'
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