Kim Young-hoon, “Labor-government negotiations before administrative agency… review of high-altitude sit-in visit to Hanwha Ocean” (Comprehensive 2nd report)

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Han Hye-won and Okseong-gu = Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Moon-soo said on the 13th that there has been no 'bargaining tsunami' or surge in strikes as some had feared since the implementation of the Yellow Envelope Act (Amended Trade Union Act), and that "we will do our best to ensure that the legal system is established in the field."

Minister Kim responded as follows to a question from Rep. Lee Jong-bae of the People's Power Party that the Labor Committee's judgment was delayed due to the Yellow Envelope Act incident during the audit of the National Assembly's Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee.

Minister Kim went on to explain, “The number of cases related to the Yellow Envelope Act at the Labor Committee is only 2.7%,” and “the increase in Labor Committee cases is due to the recent surge in unfair labor practices and workplace harassment cases due to the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) and increased awareness of rights.”

At the same time, he emphasized, "Some media said that if the yellow envelope law is enacted, there will be a tsunami of negotiations and a strike paradise throughout the year, but such a phenomenon has not appeared so far," and added, "We will do our best to establish the yellow envelope law."

In response to a question from Rep. Kim Hyeong-dong of the People's Power Party, who pointed to the Yellow Envelope Act as the reason for the recent increase in the number of lost working days, he said, "It can be pointed out that the Yellow Envelope Act is the reason why Hyundai Motors, which had been without a dispute, went on strike, but the increase in the number of lost working days is due to the prolongation of the normal wage and collective agreement rather than the Yellow Envelope Act."

Minister Kim added, “As the shipbuilding industry, which was in a recession, transitioned into a boom, collective wage agreements tend to be prolonged due to internal distribution issues,” adding, “We will take a strict look at the increase in lost working days and strengthen on-site guidance.”

Regarding the high-altitude sit-in protest at Hanwha Ocean's Geoje plant by subcontracted workers demanding participation in collective bargaining, as well as main contract workers demanding a wage increase, he said, "I think it is very unfortunate, and if necessary, I will visit the site."

It was also pointed out that the detailed plan for the relocation of secondary central administrative agencies such as the Ministry of Justice and the Financial Services Commission announced by the government on this day may be subject to industrial action under the Yellow Envelope Act because it affects the working conditions of public sector workers.

Rep. Park Soo-min of the People Power Party asked Minister Kim, “The relocation of public institutions to regional areas causes serious changes to the working conditions of public officials. Has the Ministry of Labor given guidance to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on this?”

In response, Minister Kim responded, "We have not given any guidelines yet, but we will clearly proceed with labor-government negotiations," and added, "We will play the role of the Ministry of Labor to prevent disputes in advance."

Minister Kim expressed his strong will to push forward with legislation to extend the retirement age.

In response to a related question from People Power Party lawmaker Kim Wi-sang, Minister Kim said, "I think it is too late to discuss extending the retirement age today," and emphasized, "It must be dealt with within the year."

He went on to say, “As the discussions have matured over a long period of time through the National Assembly Task Force (TF), etc., if we determine that only a decision remains, we will present a government plan as soon as possible.”

He said he would not tolerate illegal activities regarding so-called 'violent violence' issues, such as unfair practices by workers at construction sites.

Minister Kim said, "No government will neglect illegal activities. We will protect informants to the end, so please actively report any illegal activities. Even if there is no report, we will visit the site and investigate the actual situation."

He added that the Ministry of Labor is conducting a guidance inspection to check for violations of the Construction Site Employment Procedure Act from the 1st of this month to the 20th of next month.

We maintained the position that careful review is necessary regarding the '52-hour work exception application' to be included in the Mega Special Zone Special Act.

When Rep. Lee Cheol-gyu of the People's Power Party asked, "Do you think it is possible to apply an exception to 52 hours a week for research and development (R&D) personnel in the Honam semiconductor special zone?" Minister Kim responded, "There are many things that need to be carefully reviewed. For the mega special zone to succeed, the productivity of companies and the protection of workers' health rights must be harmonized."