Songpa-gu Continues Efforts to 'Reestablish Labor-Management Relations'

Ministry of Employment Issues Formal Correction Order on Songpa-gu Union’s Illegal Collective Agreement… Actively Complies

Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, “Collective Bargaining Based on Law, Always Ready for Dialogue at the Negotiation Table”

Songpa-gu (Mayor Seo Gang-seok) announced on the 7th that it will actively comply with the Ministry of Employment and Labor’s correction order issued on May 23 regarding the ‘illegal collective agreement of the Songpa-gu union’ and take the lead in establishing proper labor-management relations.

In January 2023, Mayor Seo Gang-seok requested the Seoul Regional Labor Relations Commission to issue a correction order on 52 illegal provisions in the collective agreement between Songpa-gu and the Songpa-gu union, which had continued as a practice, including the guarantee of voting rights in the personnel committee, violating the current Public Officials Labor Union Act and related laws.

On April 17, the Seoul Regional Labor Relations Commission judged that 50 provisions (96% of the 52 requested) were likely illegal and decided on their illegality. On May 23, the Ministry of Employment and Labor formally issued a correction order to Songpa-gu regarding the illegal collective agreement.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor informed that provisions such as ‘In case of guidelines or orders conflicting with the contents stipulated in the collective agreement, the contents of this agreement shall take precedence (Article 2 of the collective agreement)’ and ‘The institution shall strive to guarantee the political freedom and basic political rights of public officials (Article 10 of the collective agreement)’ both violate Article 4 and Article 10 of the Public Officials Labor Union Act and Article 57 of the Local Public Officials Act.

Additionally, provisions such as ‘Guaranteeing one personnel committee member recommended by the union, guaranteeing two or more union-recommended members in the promotion review committee (Article 5 of the side agreement on personnel system improvement), and equal labor-management composition and operation of the grievance review committee (Article 6 of the side agreement on personnel system improvement)’ were judged to restrict the authority of Songpa-gu Office regarding the exercise of appointment rights and the authority related to the management and operation of the institution. These violate Article 8 Paragraph 1 of the Public Officials Labor Union Act and Article 4 Paragraph 2 No. 2 of the Enforcement Decree of the same law (matters concerning the exercise of appointment rights), thus a correction order was issued.

In total, about 50 provisions were subject to the correction order, and Songpa-gu plans to complete the implementation of the correction order by July 21 this year after practical meetings between labor and management as requested by the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

Songpa-gu reiterated its position to actively guarantee the activities of the Songpa-gu union as stipulated in the Public Officials Labor Union Act and announced that it will immediately start labor-management negotiations to comply with the Ministry of Employment and Labor’s correction order.

If not complied with, a fine of up to 5 million KRW will be imposed according to Article 93 of the Labor Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act.

Mayor Seo Gang-seok stated, “What the current era demands is a labor-management relationship where fairness, common sense, and justice are firmly established,” and added, “Songpa-gu will take the lead in continuing efforts to establish lawful labor-management relations.”