Employment Minister: "Urgent Reform Needed for Working Hours and Wage System, Legislation to be Pursued in First Half of Next Year"

Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Jeong-sik is delivering the keynote speech on "New Government Labor Market Policy Direction" at the CEO Meeting of European Companies in Korea held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 7th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Kim Hyewon] Lee Jeongsik, Minister of Employment and Labor, announced on the 15th that "legislation will be pursued in the first half of next year" regarding the working hours system and wage structure reform plan.

Minister Lee said at the 1st National Task Inspection Meeting held at the Blue House State Guest House in the afternoon, presided over by President Yoon Seokyeol, "Reforming working hours and wages is the most urgent task."

Minister Lee stated, "Our country strictly manages overtime hours on a weekly basis, which is not in line with global trends," adding, "We will expand this to monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual units so that labor and management can autonomously and diversely choose without wage reduction if they wish." He also added, "In this process, appropriate rest time will be guaranteed to ensure that workers' health is not compromised."

Minister Lee said, "Wages will not automatically increase based on years of service but will be fairly received according to the nature and performance of the work, and we will improve step by step to ensure that there is no free labor from young people." This aligns with the 'Labor Market Reform Recommendations' announced on the 12th by the Future Labor Market Research Group, an expert group preparing labor market reform plans for the Yoon Seokyeol administration. The Ministry of Labor has expressed its intention to largely accept the recommendations. The Ministry plans to review the tasks contained in the recommendations and announce specific implementation plans, including legislative schedules, by the end of this year or early next year.

Regarding the recent collective transport refusal by the Cargo Solidarity, Minister Lee criticized, "Trying to enforce demands through collective power by holding the daily lives, livelihood, and economy of the people hostage is neither supported nor legitimate and is unsustainable." He continued, "The government will strictly respond to illegal acts regardless of labor or management," emphasizing, "The government will actively promote institutional improvements to guarantee equality between labor and management concerning unfair labor practices, replacement labor, and to ensure stable development of labor-management relations."

In response to the public panel's request to maintain the additional 8-hour overtime system for workplaces with fewer than 30 employees, Minister Lee replied, "We are actively pushing to persuade the opposition party to revise the law within this year," adding, "We will do our best to pass it, and even if it does not pass, we will ensure there are no difficulties."