Opposition to the Introduction of Total Working Hours Management System
"President Yoon is Turning the Clock Back to the 1970s," Criticizes
Former Emergency Response Committee Chairperson of the Democratic Party of Korea, Park Ji-hyun (Photo by Yonhap News)
[Asia Economy Reporter Kum Boryeong] Former Emergency Committee Chair of the Democratic Party, Park Jihyun, criticized the Ministry of Employment and Labor's announcement on labor hour flexibilization, saying, "The Yoon Seok-yeol government has finally revealed its 'anti-labor nature.'"
On the 26th, Park posted on her Facebook, "Is it freedom to take away wages and rest?" She added, "They say they will freeze the minimum wage according to the demands of business owners and implement a system allowing up to 92 working hours per week. President Yoon confessed that the freedom he mentioned thirty-five times in his inaugural speech was 'freedom for businesses.'"
Park continued, "The total labor hour management system, which allows flexible use of extended working hours limited to 12 hours per week on a monthly basis, should not be introduced. If a mandatory rest time system is not implemented, it simply means workers can be made to work up to 92 hours per week," she said. "The total labor hour management system, which suggests working longer and resting less when work is heavy, and working less and resting longer when work is light, may sound reasonable at first. However, since the rights of employers and workers are not equal, the rights of companies to make workers work longer will increase, while workers' freedom to rest longer will decrease," she criticized.
On the 23rd, Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Jeongsik announced the 'Labor Market Reform Direction,' focusing on 'labor hour flexibilization,' including reforming the current 52-hour workweek system. A notable point was the consideration to manage extended working hours, currently managed on a weekly basis, on a monthly basis through labor-management agreement.
According to Park, "The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced that 2,600 people die annually from overwork-related deaths and 828 workers die from industrial accidents. Yet President Yoon is turning the clock back to the 1970s," she pointed out. "It seems the health and rest of workers devastated by overtime are of no concern."
Park also addressed the business sector's demand to freeze the minimum wage at 9,160 won at the Minimum Wage Commission, saying, "Freezing wages while prices are soaring is essentially equivalent to wage cuts. If the minimum wage does not rise, not only quality of life but also livelihood and health will be threatened. The minimum wage must be raised to the 10,890 won level demanded by labor. Only then can workers enjoy at least minimal freedom," she stated.
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