Sogongyeon Urges Freeze on Minimum Wage
Demands Sector-Specific Application and Government Improvement Measures
"If the minimum wage rises further, we will have no choice but to introduce serving robots and cooking robots to reduce employment."
Small business owners took to the streets ahead of next year's minimum wage decision. They demanded a freeze on the minimum wage and sector-specific application. In particular, lodging, convenience store, and food service business owners voiced the realities faced by small business owners and urged the government to come up with improvement measures.
The Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business held a "Resolution Rally to Urge Minimum Wage Freeze" on the 21st in front of the National Assembly building in Yeouido, Seoul. Despite the bad weather, members from 17 regional branches nationwide and industry association members participated together in this rally.
At this event, small business owners called on the National Assembly to freeze the minimum wage and apply sector-specific standards, demanding the protection of the right to survival for small business owners facing the risk of closure.
Oh Se-hee, president of the Federation, said, "An excessive minimum wage will plunge small business owners, who are barely holding on amid triple hardships and complex crises, into an inescapable deficit pit and cause workers to lose their jobs, creating a vicious cycle."
He added, "Please actively reflect the realities of small business owners in the minimum wage deliberation process and ensure the freeze of the minimum wage and sector-specific application."
At the rally, lodging, convenience store, food service, and beauty industry owners took the stage to express the realities faced by small business owners and demand government improvement measures.
Jung Kyung-jae, president of the Korea Lodging Industry Association, said, "How can we raise wages when we are losing 2 million won a month and cutting staff? Can't you see small business owners who are already paying wages by borrowing money? I hope lodging businesses will be given sector-specific application next year to ease the burden."
Kim Mi-yeon, representative of CU convenience store owners, pointed out, "Convenience store owners guard their stores 24 hours without rest and die from overwork. The current single minimum wage structure is one that makes it impossible to hire labor demand willing to work at low intensity and low pay."
Lee Jong-beom, CEO of Pungjeon Jjukkumi, said, "If the minimum wage rises further, we will have no choice but to introduce serving robots or cooking robots as a means to maintain the store and reduce employment," advocating for a freeze on the minimum wage and sector-specific application.
Meanwhile, on the same day, the Federation expressed strong determination by performing acts such as breaking down the "wall of minimum wage increase" blocking the survival path of small business owners with a "freeze hammer."
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