The Two Major Trade Unions Respond to President Yoon's Request to Postpone the Serious Accident Punishment Act: "It Has Already Been Delayed Enough"

President Yoon Requests Parliament to Postpone Application on the 16th
Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and Federation of Korean Trade Unions Express Opposition Through Messages

On the 16th, the two major labor unions expressed opposition to President Yoon Seok-yeol's request to the National Assembly to postpone the application of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act to workplaces with fewer than 50 employees, stating that it has "already been sufficiently postponed."

The Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) responded through a message to reporters on the same day, saying, "The president personally mentioned the survival of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and made statements that were almost threatening, claiming that the damage from the law's enforcement would directly fall on workers and the public."

Participants hold hand placards at the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions rally urging the halt of the amendment to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act held in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) stated, "While punishment is not the ultimate solution, many companies have avoided their obligations to ensure safety and health simply because there was no punishment," adding, "If a company survives by workers dying, we cannot help but question whether it deserves to continue." They further emphasized, "The Serious Accidents Punishment Act has already been sufficiently postponed considering the realistic conditions of SMEs," and stressed, "It can no longer be delayed. It must be enforced starting from the 27th."

The Korean Metal Workers' Union also criticized in a statement, saying, "It is not the Serious Accidents Punishment Act that strangles SMEs, but serious accidents themselves," and pointed out, "Most industrial accidents occurring domestically happen at workplaces with fewer than 50 employees. The Serious Accidents Punishment Act is actually a more urgent law for SMEs." They continued, "In a public opinion survey conducted by the KCTU last year, 71% of the public responded that the law's expanded enforcement should not be delayed," and argued, "Still, seven workers do not return home from work every day. The safe lives and lives of workers cannot be postponed."

The Serious Accidents Punishment Act, which came into effect on January 27, 2022, stipulates that if a serious accident such as a worker's death occurs at workplaces with 50 or more employees (or construction sites with a contract amount of 5 billion KRW or more), the employer who failed to fulfill accident prevention duties shall be punished with imprisonment of one year or more or a fine of up to 1 billion KRW. Although workplaces with fewer than 50 employees and construction sites with contract amounts under 5 billion KRW are scheduled to be subject to the law after a grace period ending on the 27th, the government and ruling party are pushing for a legislative amendment to extend the grace period by two more years.