Opposition "Pushing for Passage in the Plenary Session"
Ruling Party "Will Use All Means to Block"
The ruling and opposition parties are expected to continue their dispute over the passage of the 'Yellow Envelope Act' (Amendment to the Labor Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act) at the National Assembly plenary session on the 30th.
On the 25th, Lee So-young, the floor spokesperson, stated in a written briefing, "At the plenary session on the 30th, we will push for the passage of the 'Legal Union Activity Guarantee Act' (Yellow Envelope Act) to ensure labor-management coexistence and protect workers' rights, as well as the 'Itaewon Disaster Special Act' to punish those responsible for the Itaewon tragedy and prevent its recurrence."
Spokesperson Lee urged the ruling party, saying, "We call on the ruling party, which is neglecting its role in the legislature and ignoring state affairs. It is the ruling party's duty to take all possible measures to protect the lives and safety of the people. We hope that the National Assembly will keep its promises and that its members will gain the trust of the people."
She added, "If the ruling party uses the president's re-request authority to indefinitely neglect the responsibilities of the legislature, it will face strong resistance from the public."
The Yellow Envelope Act strengthens the responsibility of primary contractors for subcontracted workers and limits companies' indiscriminate claims for damages against striking workers. The Democratic Party and the Justice Party are reportedly considering not only submitting the bill to the plenary session but also attempting to table and vote on it.
However, the People Power Party strongly opposes it, stating, "We will use all means to block this bad law together with the people," signaling a likely power struggle.
On the same day, Kang Min-guk, the chief spokesperson, commented, "The Democratic Party is once again turning the National Assembly into a battleground for political strife by pushing through bills only for their own side, following the Grain Management Act and the Nursing Act, now with the Yellow Envelope Act. They are pushing a bill that even the Moon Jae-in administration did not pursue, citing 'many provisions that undermine legal principles,' and now they are whining that what was right then is wrong now."
Chief spokesperson Kang pointed out, "The Democratic Party has repeatedly rushed through excessive legislation as a 'distraction tactic' to change the political situation whenever they face a crisis. The Yellow Envelope Act clearly contains unconstitutional elements and will cause government confusion and social division."
He added, "Blocking this bill is truly an effort to protect parliamentary democracy and the national economy, as well as future generations." Given the People Power Party's stance to "use all means to block it," attention is focused on whether the president will be recommended to exercise the re-request authority (veto) if the bill passes.
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